Dodgers edge past Braves, Padres thrash St Louis

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The Dodgers defeated Atlanta 3-2 to maintain their three-game advantage over the San Francisco Giants in the MLB's National League (NL) West division.

Matt Kemp was the star for LA, hitting a home run in the second inning to level the game at 1-1, while the left-fielder also struck the match-winning single for Justin Turner to score the walk-off run in the 10th inning.

The Braves took the lead in LA at the top of the second inning when Andrelton Simmons sent Evan Gattis across home plate but the Dodgers levelled almost immediately through Kemp's homer.

In the eighth inning, the home side took the lead but were reeled in by Atlanta in the ninth with Justin Upton clearing the fence for the visitors.

But in the first extra inning, Kemp's hit off David Hale saw the hosts claim victory.

The Dodgers moved to a 61-47 win-loss record in the NL West, ahead of the Giants, who prevailed 7-5 over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The San Diego Padres notched the biggest win of the day, thrashing the St Louis Cardinals 12-1 with an eight-run seventh inning giving the Californians victory.

Jedd Gyorko and Will Venable both hit home runs for the Padres, while in New York, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda cleared the fence as the Mets thumped the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2.

The Houston Astros crushed the Oakland Athletics 8-1, the Detroit Tigers cruised past the Chicago White Sox 7-2 and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-1.

Toronto remain second in the American League (AL) East, 2.5 games adrift of leaders the Baltimore Orioles, after the latter edged past the Los Angeles Angels 4-3.

The New York Yankees, third in the AL East, lost 3-2 at the Texas Rangers.

In other results, the Milwaukee Brewers registered a shutout in their 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Arizona Diamondbacks edged past the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 and the Washington Nationals overcame the Miami Marlins 4-3.

The Cleveland Indians blanked the Seattle Mariners 2-0, the Colorado Rapids needed 10 innings to win 6-4 against the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals won 3-2 against the Minnesota Twins.

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