PITTSBURGH -- Tony Sanchez knows hes heading back to Triple-A soon enough. The Pittsburgh Pirates backup catcher will be going to Indianapolis when Russell Martins strained left hamstring is healed. Its a reality Sanchez can deal with so long as he makes a contribution while given the chance. At the moment, thats hardly a problem. Sanchez tiebreaking single off Baltimores Ryan Webb in the bottom of the seventh scored Starling Marte to give the Pirates the lead for good in a 9-8 win on Wednesday night. Coming off an embarrassing 9-2 loss on Tuesday and desperately in need of something positive, Sanchez helped Pittsburgh earn a split of the brief two-game interleague set. "Its almost a must win," Sanchez said. "We didnt have a really good road trip. To start off this homestand and go 0-2 it wouldnt have been pretty. Thats huge for me." Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4 with an RBI and his first two extra-base hits in more than two weeks for Pittsburgh, which won for only the third time in its past nine games. Marte and Ike Davis had three hits and two RBIs apiece for the Pirates. Bryan Morris (4-0) earned the victory after allowing the Orioles to tie the game in the top of the seventh. No biggie. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save, one that capped a weird night in which the teams combined for 14 runs in the first two innings while starters Wandy Rodriguez and Chris Tillman took turns getting hit hard. It ended in more orderly fashion after Marte led off the seventh with a bunt single, moved to third on a single by Davis and scored when Sanchez laced a Webb offering into right field. "Its a game-winning hit, hes got a few of them," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Sanchez. "Hes got extreme confidence." Nelson Cruz hit his 14th homer of the season and drove in three runs for the Orioles. Nick Markakis, Chris Davis and JJ Hardy had two hits and one RBI apiece but Baltimore left 10 men on base. "You had two early exits from starters and it became a game out of the bullpen and they pushed one across there late," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "But our guys, we had a couple opportunities to score some more, but I cant fault the offence." Pittsburgh began the night eight games under .500 in part because of a struggling starting staff that has hardly looked like the group that led the team to the post-season last fall. Things didnt get much better, but the bullpen briefly recaptured its touch. Vin Mazzaros worked 3 1-3 innings of hitless relief to steady things after Rodriguez made a mess of things during 1 2-3 poor innings. The veteran left-hander has struggled with his command and his conviction all season and did little to convince Hurdle he was ready to turn the corner despite being spotted a 4-0 first-inning lead thanks in part to a two-run triple by Marte. The 35-year-old Rodriguez, in the final year of his contract, promptly gave the big lead away as Cruz led off the second a blistering solo home run and added a two-run double later in the inning to put the Orioles in front. Rodriguezs throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Tillman meant he was only charged with one earned run for his 1 2-3 innings of work, dropping his ERA from 6.84 to 6.75. Hurdle said it was too early to discuss whether Rodriguez would make his next start, though Rodriguez insists hes healthy after missing time early this season with a left knee injury. Tillman couldnt take advantage of the reprieve. Coming off a shutout win over Kansas City in his previous start, Tillman only managed to get three outs. He failed to retire a batter in the second as the first six Pittsburgh batters reached base. Brad Brach came on in relief to get out of the inning, but not until after the Orioles trailed 8-6. NOTES: Pirates closer Jason Grilli could return as early as Saturday. Grilli has been on the disabled list since sustaining a left oblique strain on April 20. He threw 20 pitches in a simulated game on Tuesday without incident ... The Orioles sent LHP Wei-Yin Chen back to Baltimore ahead of the team on Wednesday as a precaution due to concerns over weather in Pittsburgh. Chen (5-2, 3.69 ERA) is scheduled to start on Thursday against Cleveland. ... The Pirates begin a four-game series with Washington on Thursday. Edinson Volquez (1-4, 4.71) starts for the Pirates against Washingtons Blake Treinen (0-1, 0.77). Fake Vans Store .S. military base for UFC: Fight for the Troops 3. This fight card, which takes place in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, has had a number of changes, including headliner Lyoto Machida replaced by fellow Brazilian Rafael Natal. Fake Vans SK8 . Since coming to the big leagues in late May, La Stella is 6 for 7 with the bases loaded, driving in 13 runs in those at-bats. http://www.fakevans.com/ . With Washington teammate Nene drawing double-teams coming off his big game against the Lakers, Gortat scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Wizards to a 100-92 win in overtime over Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Fake Vans Slip-on .com) - Ryan Johansens creative moves and hometown appeal highlighted Team Folignos successful night at the NHL All- Star Skills Competition. Fake Vans Online . According to a release sent by the league, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were the only team to exceed the cap. Their total salary expenditure of $4,417,975 was $17,975 over the salary cap of $4.PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Howard is starting to look like a former MVP. Howard hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night. Chase Utley hit a tying, RBI single off Boone Logan before Howard drove one out to left-centre for his fifth career walk-off homer. Howard finished the series 5 for 9 with two homers and nine RBIs. "I found the ball. Thats about it," Howard said. "With swinging, sometimes you have to tinker with a few things, sometimes it just finds you. You dont question it. You just try to roll with it." Howard, who was NL MVP in 2006 when he hit 58 homers, has struggled since tearing his Achilles tendon on the final swing of the 2011 season in a playoff loss. If he regains his old form, Howard could keep the Phillies in contention in a division that lacks a dominant team. "I believe this is a championship-calibre team," Howard said. "We just have to play like it. Weve talked about trying to build on games like this. Now its about doing it." Closer La Troy Hawkins (2-1) got the first out in the ninth before Tony Gwynn Jr. reached on second baseman D.J. LeMahieus throwing error. Ben Revere followed with a single to right. Jimmy Rollins then hit a foul pop that Troy Tulowitzki, a two-time Gold Glove winning shortstop, dropped for an error. But Hawkins retired Rollins on a liner to left. Logan entered and allowed Utleys line-drive single to right that scored Gwynn. Howard then connected on a 2-2 pitch for his ninth homer. Jonathan Papelbon (1-1) tossed a perfect ninth for the win. LeMahieu hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth and Justin Morneau also hit a solo homer for Colorado. Phillies reliever Mike Adams pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh after Antonio Bastardo walked the first three hitters. Adams entered and retired pinch-hitter Carlos Gonzalez on a home-to-first double play bouncer to the mound. Adams then struck out pinch-hitter Tulowitzki to end the inning. "Im not going to back down from nobody," Adams said about not walking Tulowitzki. "Im not scared. Its competition. I feel Im better than anybody at the plate." Howard called Adams performance "phhenomenal.dddddddddddd" But LeMahieu connected off Jake Diekman in the eighth, lining one into the left-field seats. It was LeMahieus first homer this season in 160 at-bats and fifth in 853 career at-bats. "Utley had a big hit, too," Tulowitzki said. "Sometimes you tip your hat to the other guy." Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg successfully won a challenge in the fifth inning after second baseman Utley fielded Charlie Culbersons grounder and ran to the bag ahead of Corey Dickerson. Second base umpire Jim Wolf ruled Dickerson safe, but the call was overturned after a video review. Starters Roberto Hernandez and Jordan Lyles both were effective. Philadelphias Hernandez allowed two runs and six hits, pitching around five walks in 5 2-3 innings. Lyles gave up two runs and five hits in five innings. Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third. Morneau led off with a shot to right for his 10th homer. Dickerson walked and scored on Wilin Rosarios double to left-centre. The Phillies answered in the bottom half. Utley hit his major league-leading 22nd double with two outs. Howard followed with an RBI single to cut it to 2-1. Marlon Byrd lined an RBI single with two outs in the fifth to tie it at 2. Half of Byrds RBIs (15 of 30) have come with two outs this season. Rollins, playing in his 2,000th career game, snapped an 0-for-15 slump with a seventh-inning single. But he was forced at second on Utleys liner to right that Michael Cuddyer caught on a short-hop. NOTES: Commissioner Bud Selig, in town to accept an award for his work on cancer education and research, spoke about a variety of topics before the game. Selig said hes pleased with the search committees process for finding a new commissioner and theres no timetable to pick his successor. Selig also said hes happy with the replay system and he doesnt envision the NL going to a designated hitter unless theres a "catalytic" event. ... Gonzalez wasnt in the starting lineup because of a right calf contusion. He jogged slowly to first on his grounder to the mound. ... The Phillies open a five-game series against the Mets on Thursday night. David Buchanan (1-0) makes his second career start against Zack Wheeler (1-5). ... The Rockies are off Thursday before opening a series at Cleveland on Friday. ' ' '