Nate Schierholtz drove in a career-high five runs, hitting a three-run homer in the fifth and a game-winning RBI double in the 12th, to lift the Cubs to a 7-6 victory over the D-backs on Wednesday night.

The Reds clinched Wednesday’s series finale at AT&T Park by again knocking around a Giants starter in an 8-3 win to take the season series 6-1 and keep pace with the National League Central-leading Cardinals, who lead the Reds by five games.

When Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio learned Ryan Braun had accepted a season-ending suspension, he was not angry. “I’m sad,” he said.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels can probably acquire any of the top hitters on the trade market if opposing teams are interested in dealing. After all, he just landed the best starting pitcher available and still has plenty of depth.

Eric Hosmer belted a pair of homers, including a game-tying blast in the eighth, while Alcides Escobar delivered an RBI double in the ninth to give the Royals a 4-3 walk-off win over the Orioles on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

While his career with the Yankees seems to be careening to an ugly end, there’s an entire other world awaiting Alex Rodriguez. Maybe these last few years have been a rehearsal for his next career. Otherwise, there’s no explanation for his behavior.

Down to their last strike in the ninth inning, the Dodgers somehow finished off a perfect road trip coming out of the All-Star break with an 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays, as Mark Ellis and Yasiel Puig homered to trigger a five-run 10th inning.

After going 3-for-3 in his first career multi-hit game his last time out, Jake Westbrook showed off yet another uncharacteristic offensive skill Wednesday with his second career stolen base. But when he wasn’t running the bases, Westbrook was holding the Phillies to three runs through seven innings while the Cardinals knocked around Philadelphia for an 11-3 victory at Busch Stadium.

Jorge De La Rosa threw six shutout innings and the bullpen worked out of a bases-loaded-no-outs jam in the seventh to give the Rockies a 2-1 win over the Marlins Wednesday at Coors Field.

It is easy to understand the utter devastation the Braves were feeling on Wednesday night after watching Tim Hudson suffer a horrific season-ending right ankle injury in the eighth inning of an 8-2 win over the Mets.

By the time the Braves completed Wednesday’s 8-2 win over the Mets, there was little reason to celebrate the home runs Evan Gattis, Dan Uggla and Andrelton Simmons hit off Jeremy Hefner as Tim Hudson was carted off the field with a fractured right ankle.

Matt Garza made a terrific debut for the Rangers on Wednesday night, pitching his new team to a 3-1 victory over the Yankees at the Ballpark in Arlington.

Timely hitting, some flashy glovework and a healthy dose of David Price led the Rays to a 5-1 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday at Fenway Park. By winning, the Rays crept to within a half-game of the first-place Red Sox in the AL East.

Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter went deep to back right-hander Anibal Sanchez as the Tigers eased past the White Sox for the third straight game, 6-2, on Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Sanchez tossed six shutout innings.

Francisco Liriano took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, blanking the Nationals on two hits over 7 2/3 innings as the Pirates reclaimed their season peak of 21 games above .500 on Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory at Nationals Park. Liriano outdueled Stephen Strasburg, who whiffed 12 over eight innings of one-run ball.

A simple eighth-inning groundout in Wednesday’s 8-2 loss turned sour for Eric Young Jr., who arrived at the first-base bag an instant after Tim Hudson and stepped on his right ankle, fracturing it and leaving Hudson crumpled on the field.

Carlos Gomez tallied four hits to back Kyle Lohse, who threw seven quality innings Wednesday night to slip by the Padres, 3-1, in the third game of a four-game set at Miller Park.