Baseball-Highlights of Thursday's Major League Baseball games

April 10 (The Sports Xchange) - Highlights of Thursday's Major League Baseball games. - - - Athletics 6, Twins 1 The Oakland Athletics got a quality start by Dan Straily and a pair of two-run home runs in a big win over Minnesota to sweep the Twins in the series finale. The Twins took an early lead in the first inning when second baseman Brian Dozier hit a solo home run, his third of the year, to left field on the first pitch he faced, but it was all Oakland after that as Straily dominated. The right-hander (1-1) pitched seven innings, allowing three hits, walking two and striking out five as Oakland won its fourth in a row, and its ninth straight against the Twins. - - - Nationals 7, Marlins 1 Right-hander Stephen Strasburg struck out 12 batters as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins to sweep the three-game series at home. The Nationals scored five runs in the eighth as left fielder Ian Desmond hit a grand slam to left against reliever Arquimedes Caminero. It was the second grand slam in as many days for the Nationals (7-2), who have won four in a row. - - - Pirates 5, Cubs 4 Third baseman Pedro Alvarez capped a five-run seventh inning with his third home run in two days as the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed a come-from-behind win in the finale of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Alvarez greeted Cubs left-handed reliever James Russell with his three-run shot to center with two out in the seventh as the Pirates beat the Cubs for the fourth time in six games in the season's first 11 days. (Editing By Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina)