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CHICAGO -- Ryan Dempster struck out a career-high 12 and hit a go-ahead single against Greg Maddux during a four-run fifth inning, leading the Chicago Cubs over the punchless San Diego Padres 4-0 on Thursday.
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Jim Edmonds singled in his debut with the Cubs, who won three of four from the team with the worst record in the major leagues (15-27). NL Central-leading Chicago has won six of seven overall.
San Diego batters struck out 14 times in all, a day after whiffing 15 times against Ted Lilly and the Cubs' bullpen. It was the most strikeouts in a span of two nine-inning games since Texas batters had 30 last Aug. 19 and 21, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Padres, blanked for the fourth time this season, have the lowest batting average (.233) and fewest runs (140) in the major leagues.
Dempster (5-1) allowed six hits in 8 1/3 innings and walked one, leaving after 115 pitches. He retired 15 straight batters after a first-inning single by Brian Giles, who had three hits.
Dempster appeared set for his first complete game since a six-hitter for Cincinnati against the Cubs on Sept. 25, 2002, until he ran into trouble in the ninth. Full story
Blue Jays 3, Twins 2 (11)
MINNEAPOLIS -- Pinch-hitter Joe Inglett sliced a two-out, bases-loaded single through the infield in the 11th inning, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays over the Minnesota Twins for a three-game sweep.
Scott Rolen started the 11th against Jesse Crain (1-2) with a double into the right-field corner that Michael Cuddyer couldn't quite catch. Lyle Overbay was walked intentionally with two outs, and pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun drew a walk.
Then Inglett, called up last weekend from Triple-A Syracuse, batted for Jorge Velandia poked his hit just out of shortstop Adam Everett's reach.
Minnesota's Justin Morneau reached base three times and drove in a run on his 27th birthday, but the Twins twice ended innings with runners thrown out at home on his hits. They left 11 on base, five in scoring position.
Jason Kubel tried to score from first and ignored third-base coach Scott Ullger's stop sign in the seventh.
Shawn Camp (1-1) picked up the victory by getting the last out of the 10th, and B.J. Ryan finished off the Twins by converting his seventh save in as many attempts.
Pirates 11, Cardinals 5
ST. LOUIS -- Pinch-hitter Jason Bay's three-run homer off Jason Isringhausen snapped an eighth-inning tie and capped the Pittsburgh Pirates' rally from an early four-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals.
Nate McLouth added his 11th home run for the Pirates, who outscored the sagging Cardinals 10-0 during the last five innings to take two of three in the series. The finale was played in 56-degree chill accompanied by steady rain throughout the comeback, with nearly 10,000 no-shows in paid attendance of 41,244.
Troy Glaus had three hits and an RBI, and Albert Pujols extended his hitting streak to 14 games for the Cardinals, who failed to put the game away against Ian Snell. St. Louis had 11 hits during Snell's four-inning stint but only a 5-1 lead while stranding eight runners, leaving the bases loaded in the first and two on in the second and fourth.
The Cardinals stranded 13 runners a day after leaving 15 on - one off their season high - in a 5-1 victory. They lead the major leagues in runners left on, and have lost seven of nine.
Isringhausen (1-5) was demoted from the closer's role last week and was serving as the setup man for Ryan Franklin, but ended up with his sixth blown save in 17 chances.
Bay is 2-for-11 with a pair of home runs against Isringhausen and 2-for-12 for his career as a pinch hitter after lofting his eighth home run, and the first pinch-hit shot of his career, just beyond the left-field wall and out of the grasp of a staggering Chris Duncan on a 1-2 pitch for an 8-5 lead.
