WASHINGTON -- Didi Gregorius drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt single in the 11th inning and Aaron Hill homered as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 Thursday night to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Miguel Montero led off the 11th with a ground-rule double off Craig Stammen (4-3). A.J. Pollock ran for Montero and Cody Ross bunted him to third. After Jason Kubel drew a walk, Gregorius bunted down the first-base line. Pollock ran on contact and scored the go-ahead run and Gregorius beat the throw at first.
Josh Collmenter (4-0) pitched the 10th inning and Heath Bell picked up his 14th save as the Diamondbacks snapped a three-game losing streak (see full recap).
Byrd, Mets edge Rockies
DENVER -- Marlon Byrd hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning and threw out a runner from right field in the ninth to lead the New York Mets past the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Thursday in a makeup game for the one that was snowed out on April 17.
With the Mets trailing 2-1, Byrd drove a fastball from reliever Matt Belisle (4-5) into the seats in left-center. That was about the extent of the offense for New York with slugger David Wright receiving a rest. Starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner drove in the team's other run on a groundout.
LaTroy Hawkins (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless seventh and Bobby Parnell closed for his 14th save in 17 chances.
The fourth-place Mets finished 7-4 on a four-city road trip that took them to three time zones. They have won eight of 12 overall (see full recap).
Lester leads Red Sox over Blue Jays
BOSTON -- Jon Lester pitched into the eighth inning before leaving with an apparent injury, and Dustin Pedroia homered in a seven-run second to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.
Toronto, which reeled off 11 straight wins this month, had won 12 of its past 14 games and 15 of 19 to close within 6 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.
Then the Blue Jays ran into Lester.
The left-hander retired 10 straight to begin the game and didn't allow a hit until the fifth. He came out after giving up consecutive singles to start the eighth and running the count to 3-0 on Emilio Bonifacio.
Red Sox manager John Farrell came darting out of the dugout as the infielders crowded around Lester. Moments later, Lester walked off the field and Junichi Tazawa came on in relief (see full recap).