At Seven Games Over .500, Pirates Play Unseasonably Hot Ball Pedro Alvarez hit a grand slam in the first inning off the suddenly scuffling 10-game winner Lance Lynn, and Andrew McCutchen had two hits before leaving with a sore left wrist, helping the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-3, on Saturday for their fourth victory in a row. The Pirates are a season-best seven games above .500. If they complete a three-game sweep Sunday, they will have their best record since their 1992 National League East championship team finished 96-66. Lynn (10-4) was pummeled for the third straight start, surrendering six runs in five innings. Since totaling 23 strikeouts in consecutive victories earlier this month, the first-year starter who replaced the injured Chris Carpenter in the rotation has given up 17 runs in 151/3 innings. The Pirates homered a league-leading 39 times in June to tie the franchise record set in 1975. MARLINS 3, PHILLIES 2 Giancarlo Stanton homered and Mark Buehrle (7-8) pitched seven strong innings as host Miami won its third straight. Jose Reyes had two hits, stole two bases and scored twice for the Marlins. REDS 2, GIANTS 1 Cincinnati's Mat Latos pitched a two-hitter for his career-best seventh straight win, beating host San Francisco for the second time this season. Latos (7-2) struck out seven and did not walk a batter in his 115-pitch gem, his second straight complete game. CUBS 3, ASTROS 2 Anthony Rizzo hit his first homer with the Cubs - a two-run, go-ahead shot in the fifth inning - and host Chicago got its fourth win in five games. The Cubs also signed the 20-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler to a nine-year, $30 million deal. Soler will initially report to the team's minor league facility in Mesa, Ariz. Houston's Carlos Lee said he was planning to discuss with his wife whether he should accept a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lee, who is in the final year of a six-year, $100 million contract with the Astros, has a limited no-trade clause, which means he has to approve a deal. Lee, 36, is hitting .285 with 5 homers and 29 runs batted in. BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 5 Mike Minor won for just the second time in 12 starts, and host Atlanta overcame 104-degree heat to beat Stephen Strasburg and Washington. Strasburg (9-3) left after three innings because of the heat, tying his shortest outing. He allowed two hits, three runs and four walks. He left trailing, 3-2, after the Braves" three-run third. "Pretty scary, and he wasn't talking too good," Nationals Manager Davey Johnson said. I found out later he got a little dizzy out on the mound. The problem was that he was totally dehydrated. I think the doctor gave him, you know, three transfusions of saline, and he still wasn't going to the bathroom. PADRES 8, ROCKIES 4 Yasmani Grandal and Alexi Amarista each homered twice to lead San Diego at Colorado. BREWERS 10, DIAMONDBACKS 2 Ryan Braun homered twice and Cody Ransom added a three-run shot to power host Milwaukee. RANGERS 7, ATHLETICS 2 Josh Hamilton hit a three-run homer and Martin Perez won his first career start as host Texas extended its winning streak to five games. The Rangers (50-29) become the first team in baseball to reach 50 victories. They have won 17 of 21 games since June 8. BLUE JAYS 11, ANGELS 2 Henderson Alvarez gave host Toronto's injury-riddled rotation a break, pitching seven solid innings, and Yunel Escobar homered during a seven-run second inning. TIGERS 6, RAYS 2 Rick Porcello allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, and Austin Jackson hit a three-run homer for visiting Detroit. Jackson homered in the eighth inning off Joel Peralta, who returned after serving an eight-game suspension for having pine tar on his glove. Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson (4-4) left in the third after being struck in the lower right leg by Prince Fielder's liner. X-rays were negative. TWINS SWEEP ROYALS Scott Diamond pitched eight innings, and Trevor Plouffe homered for host Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory in the first game. Joe Mauer homered in the Twins" 5-1 victory in the second game. INDIANS 11, ORIOLES 5 Shin-Soo Choo went 4 for 5 with a homer, scored four runs and drove in three to lead Cleveland, which had a season-high 19 hits, at Baltimore. ORIOLES ACQUIRE THOME The Philadelphia Phillies traded the slugger Jim Thome to Baltimore for two minor leaguers: right-hander Kyle Simon and catcher Gabriel Lino. Thome, 41, a five-time All-Star with 609 career home runs, has played for Cleveland, Minnesota, the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia. In 30 games this season, Thome has hit .242 with five home runs. EARL WEAVER STATUE UNVEILED The Orioles honored the Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver by unveiling a 7-foot statue of him during a ceremony at Camden Yards. Weaver, 81, led the Orioles to four American League pennants and the 1970 World Series championship. The statue stands in the Garden of the Greats picnic area behind center field next to one of the Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. Statues of the Hall of Fame members Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken will be unveiled later this season.