Mets Blank Rockies – MLB Roundup

UNDATED (AP) — With two and a-half weeks to go in the Major League Baseball regular season, the Kansas City Royals are back on top in the American League Central by one game over the Detroit Tigers.

James Shields pitched the Royals past the Tigers 3-0. He allowed two hits over seven innings in another terrific performance in winning his 14th game. He's 14-7.

Shields gave up a single to Ian Kinsler leading off the first. Then he picked off Kinsler — and retired every other batter he faced until another Detroit single in the seventh. The Tigers put two on that inning, but Shields worked out of the jam.

Kelvin Herrera pitched the eighth and Wade Davis finished for his third save.

In other baseball:

— Atlanta salvaged the finale of a three-game set in Washington by beating the Nationals 6-2. Justin Upton drove in three, while brother B.J. homered. Aaron Harang went seven strong innings, striking out nine, and allowing one unearned run. The Nats still lead the Braves by eight games in the NL East.

— Cincinnati doubled up NL Central leader St. Louis 4-2. Alfredo Simon (SY'-muhn) shook off a rough start but lasted seven innings and drove in the go-ahead run with the second of his two doubles. He's 14-10.

— The Cardinals' lead in the NL Central is down to three and a-half games over Pittsburgh. That's because the Pirates doubled up Philadelphia 6-3. Andrew McCutchen hit the first inside-the-park home run of his career. The Pirates also hold the second wild card spot, a game and a-half up on Atlanta. The Pirates have won six of seven.

— Dan Haren won his 13th game with seven sharp innings to give the Dodgers four pitchers with 13 wins for the first time in 19 years, and Los Angeles beat the San Diego Padres 4-0.

— San Francisco remained two and a-half games back of the NL West-leading Dodgers by blanking Arizona 5-0. Ryan Vogelsong and three relievers combined on the two-hit shutout.

— Houston beat Seattle 5-2. Jose Altuve (al-TOO'-vay) raised his AL-leading batting average to .336 by going 2-for-5 with an RBI.

— Rafael Montero earned his first major league win, Eric Young Jr. went 3 for 3 with an RBI triple and the suddenly surging New York Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0 for their fourth consecutive victory.

— Wei-Yin Chen took a perfect game into the sixth inning on way to Baltimore's 10-6 win over Boston. Chen retired the first 16 hitters he faced to improve to 15-4. He went seven innings giving up a run on three hits. Caleb Joseph homered and drove in three runs for the AL East-leading Orioles, who've won 11 of 14.

— Avisail Garcia drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the eighth inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the struggling Oakland Athletics 2-1. The Athletics have lost 10 of 13 and are now nine games back of the AL West-leading L.A. Angels.

— The Angels trounced Texas 8-1. Kole Calhoun cracked his 16th home run. Albert Pujols (POO'-hohlz) opened the scoring with his first triple in more than four years.

— Mark Teixeira (teh-SHEHR'-uh) made up for a botched foul pop in the Rays' four-run first inning with a go-ahead triple in the fifth, and the New York Yankees came back to beat Tampa Bay 8-5. Brian McCann homered and drove in three runs.

— Milwaukee rookie Matt Clark hit his first career home run, Wily Peralta (WIH'-lee peh-RAHL'-tah) won his 16th game, and the Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1. The Brewers are a game and a-half back of Pittsburgh for the final NL wild card spot. Francisco Rodriguez got the last three outs to reach 40 saves for the fifth time in his career.

— Toronto clobbered the Chicago Cubs 11-1 to complete a three-game sweep. Drew Hutchison matched his career-high with 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Dioner Navarro had two hits and two RBIs.

— The Twins-Indians game in Cleveland was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Thursday.