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Miller sweeps clean for Astros, Sosa shines for Cubs

Wade Miller pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings for the Houston Astros to complete a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 5-2 victory in the National League (NL) on Thursday.
The Astros (18-10) have the best record in the NL. The Pirates lost for the 13th time in 14 games in Houston.
Miller (4-2) retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced in his longest outing of the season. He allowed six hits while striking out seven and walking none.
Three relievers combined to complete a nine-hitter but the Pirates scored twice in the ninth to spoil the shutout.
Kris Benson (3-1) took the loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits with five walks over 5 2/3 innings.
Morgan Ensberg had a two-run single in a four-run fourth inning for the Astros. The other runs in the frame came on an error and a wild pitch.
Jeff Bagwell added two hits and an RBI to the Houston attack while Ensberg also had two hits.
Chris Stynes and Tike Redman drove in the two runs and had two hits each for Pittsburgh, as did Craig Wilson.
In other NL action on Thursday:
Padres 7, Braves 3
In Atlanta, Khalil Greene and Jay Payton cracked first-inning homers to power the San Diego Padres to a 7-3 win over the Braves.
Brian Lawrence (4-2) went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Payton drove in three runs for San Diego while Mark Loretta and Brian Giles both had three hits.
Mike Hampton (0-3) gave up seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Julio Franco notched a pinch-hit, two-run homer for the Braves, who turned a triple play in the game.
Cardinals 7, Phillies 4
In Philadelphia, Hector Luna blasted a three-run homer in a five-run first inning as the St Louis Cardinals eased past the Phillies 7-4.
Jeff Suppan (3-3) went six innings for the win, allowing four runs on six hits.
Cubs 11, Diamondbacks 3
In Chicago, Derrek Lee collected five hits and five RBI to help the Cubs crush the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-3.
Lee's hits included a three-run homer that helped Matt Clement (5-1) win his fifth straight game. Clement allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings.
Sammy Sosa added two hits, scored two runs and drove in another two for the Cubs.
Expos 3, Rockies 1
In Montreal, Livan Hernandez pitched a complete game five-hitter as the Expos overcame the Colorado Rockies 3-1.
Hernandez (2-2) struck out seven batters and walked one in pitching his 32nd career complete game, and the first of the season by an Expo.
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