Jeff Suppan pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning, overcoming three balls that rookie left fielder Chris Duncan misplayed into doubles as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-0, on Friday night.
The Cardinals have won only two of their last six games, winning both times when Juan Mateo started for the Cubs. St. Louis won despite going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding 15 runners.
All-Star center fielder Jim Edmonds struck out four times in his first start for the Cardinals since leaving a game Aug. 15 because of post-concussion syndrome.
E -ARamirez (10), Miles (12). DP -St. Louis 1. LOB -Chicago 7, St. Louis 15. 2B -Bynum 2 (2), ARamirez (30), Pagan (6), Duncan (9). SB -Rolen (7). S -Mateo, Suppan. SF -Rolen.
Mateo pitched to 2 batters in the 6th. HBP -by Mateo (Belliard). Umpires -Home, Mark Carlson; First, C.B. Bucknor; Second, Adam Dowdy; Third, Wally Bell. T -2:47. A -46,004 (43,975).
- Brad Hawpe rediscovered his home run swing at Coors Field and Jeff Francis overcame a rough start as Colorado snapped a six-game losing streak.
Hawpe hit his first home run at Coors since May 16, a span of 40 games. Hawpe gave the Rockies a 7-5 lead with his two-run shot to right in the fifth. It was his 19th home run of the season.
He had the first four-hit game of his career and tied a career-high with four RBIs. Todd Helton had four singles and Matt Holliday added three hits.
DP -San Diego 2, Colorado 3. LOB -San Diego 7, Colorado 10. 2B -Barfield (25), Cameron (26), Bellhorn (11), TWalker (20), Holliday (36), Torrealba (15). HR -Hawpe (19). SB -Barfield (17), KMatsui (3), Holliday 2 (9), Hawpe (4), Spilborghs (3), Freeman (3). S -Thompson, Francis. SF -Spilborghs.
Thompson pitched to 3 batters in the 5th. HBP -by Thompson (Atkins). Umpires -Home, Rob Drake; First, Travis Reininger; Second, Tim Timmons; Third, Jeff Nelson. T -2:55. A -24,182 (50,449).
Trailing 4-2, Washington put up four runs on the Braves' bullpen. Chad Paronto failed to retire anyone, giving up three straight hits that included Ryan Zimmerman's run-scoring single. After Macay McBride got a grounder that led to Nick Johnson being tagged out in a rundown between third and home, Tyler Yates was called in to face Kearns.
Big mistake for the Braves. Kearns sent a 1-1 pitch screaming down the right-field line, the ball ricocheting off an outer wall just a few feet inside the foul pole for his 20th homer of the season.
Washington outfielder Alfonso Soriano became the 40th player in major league history - and the fastest ever - to reach 200 homers and 200 steals for his career. He walked in the third and stole second to reach the milestone, then added his 201st homers.
DP -Washington 1. LOB -Washington 11, Atlanta 7. 2B -FLopez (21), MGiles (26). HR -Kearns (20), Langerhans (7). SB -ASoriano 2 (32), Kearns (9). CS -Diaz (5). S -James. SF -FLopez, Escobar.
Paronto pitched to 3 batters in the 7th. HBP -by ROrtiz (Diaz). Umpires -Home, Mike Winters; First, Mike Muchlinski; Second, James Hoye; Third, Brian Runge. T -3:20. A -33,621 (50,091).
Clemens has pitched in the majors since 1984, but accomplished something he had never done before in 684 career starts by winning in Pittsburgh. Clemens' 347th career victory was his first there in two starts in a career that has been spent mostly in the American League, and only the fourth victory in 14 games by the defending NL champion Astros.
Lance Berkman homered to the deepest part of PNC Park, a drive into the center-field seats at the 410-foot mark in the third inning, while Brad Ausmus drove in a run and scored twice while reaching base four times. Jason Lane added a two-run homer, his 13th, in the ninth off Britt Reames.
Willy Taveras extended his hitting streak to 28 games with a single leading off the game. Taveras' streak is the longest in Astros history and is the second longest in the majors this season to Chase Utley's 35-game streak for the Phillies.
DP -Houston 2, Pittsburgh 2. LOB -Houston 8, Pittsburgh 6. 2B -FSanchez (45), Castillo (22). HR -Berkman (35), Lane (13). SB -Taveras 2 (27), AEverett (8). S -Clemens 2, VSantos.
VSantos pitched to 3 batters in the 7th. WP -Clemens. Umpires -Home, Gary Darling; First, Bruce Dreckman; Second, Larry Poncino; Third, Ed Hickox. T -2:48. A -37,009 (38,496).
Randy Wolf and the Philadelphia bullpen also stopped the Mets' 11-game winning string at Shea Stadium, their best streak at home since September 1995.
The wild-card hopeful Phillies won minus manager Charlie Manuel, who was ejected in the sixth inning. Carlos Beltran hit his 37th homer, doubled and drove in three runs for the NL East-leading Mets.
Howard drove in three runs, giving him a league-leading 117 RBIs. He had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and hit a two-run homer in the third.
In the bottom of the third, Howard came off the bag at first base to make a diving play on Shawn Green's hard grounder with runners at the corners.
Wolf gave up three runs on five hits over five innings. He made just his sixth start of the season after having Tommy John surgery in July 2005.
DP -Philadelphia 1. LOB -Philadelphia 7, New York 7. 2B -Lo Duca (30), Beltran (33). 3B -Victorino (5). HR -Howard (45), Beltran (37). SB -Roberson (2), Reyes (54). SF -Howard.
Jacobs doubled home a run in the first, then hit a bases-loaded double in the third to help the Marlins overcome a 5-2 deficit. Moehler limited the Brewers to one hit after starter Ricky Nolasco lasted only two-plus innings. Milwaukee got only one hit in the final 6 1/3 innings.
E -BHall (14). DP -Florida 1. LOB -Milwaukee 7, Florida 4. 2B -DaBell (21), MiCabrera (43), Willingham (22), Jacobs 2 (34). HR -BHall (29). SB -HaRamirez (41). CS -Uggla (6), Olivo (3), Amezaga (9). S Amezaga.
Nolasco pitched to 4 batters in the 3rd. HBP -by Mitre (Rivera), by Bush (Willingham), by Bush (HaRamirez). WP -Nolasco. Umpires -Home, Larry Vanover; First, Greg Gibson; Second, Scott Barry; Third, Paul Nauert. T -2:47. A -13,447 (36,331).
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