ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Martínez ended a seven-start winless streak, Nolan Arenado broke a fifth-inning tie with a two-run homer, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Tuesday night for their first consecutive wins in two weeks. Martínez (4-9) allowed one run, four hits and two walks in six innings. He…

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The only thing that got in Max Kranick’s way was the weather. Kranick pitched five perfect innings in his major league debut before a 64-minute rain delay forced him from the game, and the Pittsburgh Pirates went on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 Sunday. “Crazy feeling, incredible feeling,“ Kranick…

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers are on a relative roll, winning three straight games for the second time in a 10-day stretch. Jonathan Schoop has had a lot to do with it. Schoop hit a solo homer and a two-run double to help the Tigers beat the skidding St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 Wednesday. Schoop…

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a ruling that could help push changes in college athletics, the Supreme Court on Monday unanimously ruled that the NCAA can’t enforce certain rules limiting the education-related benefits — things like computers and graduate scholarships — that colleges offer athletes. The case doesn’t decide whether students can be paid salaries. Instead,…

ATLANTA (AP) — Drew Smyly knows his first season with the Atlanta Braves hasn’t gone as smoothly as he thought it would. After shutting down the St. Louis Cardinals, Smyly believes he’s on the right track to better consistency. “I guess pretty up and down, you know?” he said. “I didn’t have the April I…