MILWAUKEE -- Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer in the
eighth, and the Milwaukee Brewers came back from a four-run deficit
to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 and remain in first place in
the National League Central.
Corey Hart robbed Tadahito Iguchi of what could have been a
game-tying homer in the ninth, and Milwaukee remained a game ahead
of Chicago. Philadelphia (57-53) stayed five games behind the
first-place Mets with the loss.
Milwaukee trailed 5-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning
and 5-4 heading into the eighth.
But with one out, J.J. Hardy singled. Ryan Braun popped out,
bringing up Fielder, who hit a 1-2 pitch by Tom Gordon deep into
the right-field seats, delighting the sellout crowd of 42,126.
Hart then saved the game in the ninth and helped Francisco
Cordero pick up his 34th save in 39 chances. With one out, Iguchi
drove a ball deep to right, but Hart went back to the wall and
leaped to bring the ball back.
Derrick Turnbow (3-4) pitched the eighth to get the win. Gordon
dropped to 1-2.
Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Greg Dobbs homered for the
Phillies.<
^Cubs 6, Mets 2=
CHICAGO -- Ryan Theriot legged out an RBIs-infield single
with two outs that started a six-run third inning for Chicago.
Jacque Jones had three hits for the Cubs, who have the National
League's best record since June 3 at 36-20.
Moises Alou homered twice for the Mets, who snapped a three-game
winning streak.
Cubs starter Ted Lilly (12-5) bounced back from his first loss
on Monday since June 5 with 7 2-3 impressive innings, allowing two
runs and seven hits with eight strikeouts and a walk. He has won
seven of his last eight starts.
Mets starter John Maine (12-6), who retired the first six
batters he faced, lost his rhythm in the third inning en route to
the shortest start of his career. He lasted 2 2-3 innings and
allowed six runs and four hits, with three walks and a strikeout.
He was 6-1 in his last eight starts before Saturday.<
^Braves 6, Rockies 4=
ATLANTA -- Tim Hudson stopped another losing skid, pitching
seven scoreless innings and hitting a two-run single for Atlanta.
Hudson made his 12th start following an Atlanta loss. The Braves
are 10-2 in those games.
This time, Hudson stopped a two-game losing streak, allowing the
Braves to pull to within 4½ games of the New York Mets in the NL
East.
Hudson (12-5) gave up only five hits and two walks and struck
out seven.
The Rockies rallied with Garrett Atkins' grand slam off reliever
Octavio Dotel in the eighth. Dotel loaded the bases on Yorvit
Torrealba's double, shortstop Yunel Escobar's throwing error on
Cory Sullivan's grounder and Kaz Matsui's walk. Atkins cleared the
bases with the drive into the seats in left-center.
Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1) struck out seven in only 4
2-3 innings, but he gave up five walks and hit two batters --
including one hit and one walk in Atlanta's three-run fifth
inning.<
^Nationals 12, Cardinals 1=
WASHINGTON (AP)-- Ryan Zimmerman hit two home runs, and Joel
Hanrahan added a two-run double in his first major league win as
Washington extended its winning streak to a season-best five games.
St. Louis manager Tony La Russa, attempting to shake up an
anemic offense, decided that Adam Kennedy would bat ninth and his
pitcher eighth. It was the first time La Russa batted his pitcher
eighth since 1998.
For a while, the move looked brilliant. Kennedy hit a home run
with one out in the third, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
But Hanrahan (1-0), a 25-year-old rookie making his second major
league start, didn't allow another run pitching into the fifth
inning. He gave up six hits, struck out three and walked three in
sending the Cardinals to their fourth straight defeat.
Joel Pineiro (0-1) gave up five runs -- four earned -- on seven
hits in five innings.<
^Reds 9, Pirates 8, 10 innings=
PITTSBURGH -- Adam Dunn's two-run homer in the 10th inning
lifted Cincinnati in a battle between the worst two teams in the
National League.
Pirates closer Matt Caps (4-5) gave up the tying run on a solo
homer to Jeff Keppinger in the ninth. After Brandon Phillips led
off the tenth with a single, Dunn connected on his 30th homer of
the season into the right-centerfield seats.
David Weathers gave up pinch hitter Jack Wilson's solo homer in
the bottom of the 10th before finishing for his 21st save.
Jason Bay, Nate McLouth, Ronny Paulino and starting pitcher Matt
Morris also homered for the Pirates, the first time they've had
five homers in a game since August 2003. Pittsburgh has won only
four times since the All-Star break.
Edwin Encarnacion also went deep for the Reds. Jared Burton
(3-1) earned the victory with 1 2-3 innings of scoreless work.<
^Marlins 6, Astros 5, 12 innings=
MIAMI -- Miguel Cabrera tied the game with a homer in the
seventh, then scored the winning run from second base on a wild
pitch that bounced into the Florida dugout with two out in the 12th
inning.
Stephen Randolph (0-1) intentionally walked Cabrera, who then
took second on a wild pitch that hit catcher Eric Munson in the
throat. With a 2-1 count on Mike Jacobs, Randolph threw another
wild pitch that bounced away from Munson and trickled into the
Marlins dugout, allowing Cabrera to race home with the winning run.
Hanley Ramirez homered and drove in three runs, and Dan Uggla
also went deep for the Marlins. Lee Gardner (3-2) pitched one
scoreless inning for the win.
Jason Lane hit a three-run homer for the Astros, giving Houston
a 5-4 lead and setting up Cabrera's late-inning heroics.<
^MORE