Settling the Score: Saturday’s results

It sure looks like the battle for the National League Central will be going down to the wire this season.

Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke decided to get most of his regressing out of the way in one start, yielding eight runs on 10 hits over just two innings Saturday night in a 15-5 blowout loss to the Diamondbacks. The Cardinals, a bit earlier in the day, took care of business at Wrigley Field, blanking the rival Cubs 4-0 with Yadier Molina homering for the first time since his knee sprain. The Reds couldn’t muster any offense at Milwaukee’s Miller Park, falling 2-0.

Pittsburgh is 72-50 with a two-game division lead over the 70-52 Redbirds. Cincy (69-54) is 3 1/2 back.

Your Saturday box scores and recaps:

Yankees 1, Red Sox 6

Cardinals 4, Cubs 0

Diamondbacks 15, Pirates 5

Rockies 4, Orioles 8

Dodgers 5, Phillies 0

Mariners 3, Rangers 15

Nationals 8, Braves 7 (15 innings)

Mets 2, Padres 8

Astros 5, Angels 6 (10 innings)

Indians 7, Athletics 1

Follow @drewsilv

Earlier this month Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka strained both of his hamstrings while running the bases in an interleague game against the Mets and was sent to the 10-day DL. Today it was announced that the beginning of the end of most DL stints for pitchers — throwing off of a mound — is in Tanaka’s immediate future.

Tanaka is scheduled to throw off a mound Sunday, which will be his first real (well, fake real) pitching action since the June 9th injury. Assuming the session goes well, Tanaka is expected to return to the Yankees’ starting rotation sometime in early-to-mid July. With the All-Star break coming the week of July 16, it would not be hard to imagine the Yankees giving him a few extra days to get right.

Tanaka is 7-2 with a 4.58 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 73/19 in 72.2 innings on the season.

Follow @craigcalcaterra