MLB scores and more: Harrison to DL, Braves acquire Ayala, Jays claim Wells

Wednesday’s scores

Blue Jays 8, Tigers 6 - Detroit jumped out to an early lead after a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, but the bullpen couldn't hang on. Down five entering the sixth, the Jays rallied for seven unanswered runs in two frames for the win.

Cardinals 10, Reds 0 - Jake Westbrook hurled a five-hit shutout for the Cards, bringing his scoreless inning streak up to 15⅔. St. Louis also hit four bombs on the day to end Homer Bailey's own scoreless streak at 23.

Rays 2, Rangers 0 - Matt Moore stopped the Rangers' bats cold on Wednesday in what was the chilliest day game ever at Arlington. The young southpaw walked six allowed just one hit in 5⅓, snapping the Rays' three-game skid.

D'Backs 10, Pirates 2 - If AZ center fielder Adam Eaton doesn't return from the DL soon, he may be out of a job. Replacement A.J. Pollock went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI at the plate, stole a base, and make a great diving catch in center to round out his career day.

Giants 10, Rockies 0 - We may have to concede that Barry Zito has learned how to be effective with diminished stuff. The World Series hero increased his scoreless innings streak to 14 yesterday, and even went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Nats 5, White Sox 2 - Bryce Harper launched his fourth home run of the year into the second deck to kickstart the Nats' offense, while Jordan Zimmermann tossed seven frames and held the ChiSox to just two runs.

Phillies 7, Mets 3 - The Phillies jumped out to and early lead and never looked back, with Chase Utley and Domonic Brown connecting for their second home runs of the year in a five-run first. John Buck hit his fifth home run as a Met, and Lucas Duda had a two home run game, but it wasn't enough.

Braves 8, Marlins 0 - The Marlins were shut out for the second time in the series and the fourth time in nine games, indicating that they may actually be worse than the Astros. The Fish now have just 16 runs in nine games. Houston scored 16 runs on Tuesday night alone.

Orioles 8, Red Sox 5 - New Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan earned his first blown save of the year, allowing five runs in the ninth to keep Ryan Dempster from his first win in Boston. Chris Davis led off the inning with his fifth homer of the year, and Manny Machado capped the rally with a three-run bomb.

Royals 3, Twins 0 - Solo home runs from Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur paved the way for the Royals' first series sweep of the season. KC has now won four straight and are alone in first in the AL Central.

A's 11, Angels 5 - It may be time for Angels fans to start panicking. Oakland won their seventh straight on the back of Brandon Moss, who turned in a five-RBI day. The Halos have lost four straight and are now in the AL West cellar.

Astros 8, Mariners 3 - Houston's bats continued to mash at Safeco Field, hitting three home runs to take their first series win of the year. The Astros have scored 24 runs the last two games, after plating just 17 in their first seven.

Dodgers 4, Padres 3 - Chad Billingsley made a triumphant return from the disabled list, tossing five frames of one-run ball to earn the win. Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis went deep for L.A., and the bullpen barely held on in the ninth.

Postponed (Rain)

Yankees @ Indians

Brewers @ Cubs

The Big Three

1. Matt Harrison did not look sharp in his first two starts of the season, giving up 11 runs in 10⅔ innings against the Astros and Angels, and now he's been put on the DL with a sore back. The southpaw has been fighting off discomfort in his lower back since at least Saturday, when he was pulled after five in his start against the Halos, and he'll now miss at least two starts to recover. Young right-hander Justin Grimm will take Harrison's spot in the rotation for the time being. Lower back injuries have a tendency to linger much longer than expected, and can have disastrous effects on pitchers' mechanics if they try to come back when not at 100 percent, so it'll be interesting to keep an eye on Harrison's recovery. The Rangers signed the left-hander to a five-year, $55 million extension over the winter.

2. The Atlanta Braves added some bullpen depth Wednesday, acquiring right-hander Luis Ayala from the Baltimore Orioles for a minor-league arm. It's not a huge move by any means, but the addition of Ayala gives the Braves a strong veteran option to turn to in the 'pen in the wake of Jonny Venters' elbow issues. Like the rest of the Orioles' bullpen, Ayala was lights-out in 2012, and there's no reason he can't do it again this year. For the O's, the subtraction of Ayala from the relief corps allows the club to carry a fourth bench player, and shouldn't have too much of an adverse effect on their strong 'pen.

3. No need to panic, Jays fans, it's a very different Wells. The Blue Jays continued their recent waiver-wire frenzy by claiming Mariners outfielder Casper Wells on Wednesday. Toronto has now claimed three players this week, and has picked 19 players total off the waiver wire since last October. Wells, 28, should be a solid addition to a Jays outfield that was a bit lacking on the defensive side. Mark DeRosa seems like the most likely candidate to lose playing time with Wells on board, but given the turnover rate on Toronto's waiver claims, there's no telling whether the outfielder fits into the club's long-term plans. He could be DFA-ed next week like most of his waiver-claim brethren.

In Injury News...

1. The Reds placed left-hander Sean Marshall on the 15-day DL Wednesday with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. The southpaw reliever has been battling with shoulder soreness since late spring, and has thrown just one inning thus far this season.

2. More bad injury news for the Brewers... Corey Hart has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list, meaning the club is going to have to survive with Alex Gonzalez at first base for quite a while longer. Hart won't return to the lineup until June at the earliest.

3. The Red Sox placed John Lackey on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his biceps. No structural damage has been found in his arm, but the big right-hander will now miss at least two starts while recovering. Alfredo Aceves is expected to take Lackey's spot in the rotation.