Dontrelle Willis improved to a major league-best 7-0 by allowing one run and six hits in eight innings, and Damion Easley's two-run homer sent Florida to a 2-1 victory over Houston on Wednesday.
Roy Oswalt (4-4) yielded two runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings for the Astros, who fell to 2-16 on the road. Morgan Ensberg had two hits and the lone RBI for Houston.
"These games are key," Willis said. "People put so much emphasis on September and August, but these games are key because we have to play well now to get to those key situations in September."
PHOTO: AP
Willis, who struck out five and walked two, retired 18 of 19 Astros during one stretch before allowing a double by Ensberg on an 0-2 pitch in the eighth. The next batter, Lance Berkman, walked. But Willis escaped by striking out Mike Lamb -- a left-handed batter -- on three pitches to close the inning.
"Guys are throwing really well and doing their jobs, doing everything they're asked," Ensberg said. "And we just don't seem to be able to get runs in."
Todd Jones worked a scoreless ninth for his third save.
Padres 7, Reds 2
In Cincinnati, Tim Stauffer got a win in his major league debut and San Diego manager Bruce Bochy got his 800th as San Diego thrashed Cincinnati.
Ryan Klesko hit a three-run homer for the Padres, who won for the eighth time in 10 games. Only Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Tony La Russa have more wins with their current clubs than Bochy.
Dave Roberts had four hits and Mark Loretta got five to lead San Diego's 16-hit outburst. Klesko's sixth homer in his last nine games put San Diego ahead to stay in the fourth.
Paul Wilson (1-4) started for the Reds, who have lost 11 of 13 and fallen into last place in the NL Central.
Stauffer (1-0), the fourth overall pick in the 2003 draft, gave up two runs, four hits and three walks in six innings, turning a 5-2 lead over to the bullpen.
Brewers 5, Phillies 2
In Milwaukee, Junior Spivey's three-run double off Ryan Madson in the eighth inning made Milwaukee 9-3 on their homestand, the first time they won nine times during a homestand since going 9-1 from Sept. 18 to Sept. 27, 1992.
Spivey sent a two-out, full-count fastball just over the glove of left fielder Pat Burrell to break a 2-2 tie and make a loser of Philadelphia's Cory Lidle (2-3), who struck out a career-high 11 and retired 16 straight at one point.
Doug Davis (4-4) got the win. He allowed two runs, both on homers, and six hits in eight innings. Derrick Turnbow pitched the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
Cubs 4, Mets 3, 10 innings
In Chicago, Derrek Lee homered leading off the 10th to give Chicago the win over New York.
Mark Prior allowed just two hits in seven strong innings for Chicago, but the Mets tied it at 3 on pinch-hitter Eric Valent's two-out single in the ninth off new closer Ryan Dempster (2-3). He blew his first save chance of the season, then got the victory.
Lee's 10th homer came on a 3-2 pitch from Heath Bell (0-1) and ended an 11-pitch at-bat. The Cubs, who won for only the third time in 11 games, took two of three from New York.
Rockies 6, Braves 5
In Denver, Todd Greene hit a game-winning, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth for Denver after Atlanta had scored three runs in the top half of the inning.
Colorado got an impressive start from Kim Byung-hyun and led 4-2 heading into the ninth, only to see Tsao Chin-hui (
Ryan Langerhans led off the ninth with a solo homer, his second of the game. Brian Giles tied it with a run-scoring double and Julio Franco singled to put the Braves up 5-4.
Braves closer Dan Kolb gave up a homer to pinch-hitter Dustan Mohr with one out in the ninth. Clint Barmes and Aaron Miles followed with singles, and Kolb (1-3) intentionally walked Todd Helton to load the bases. Chris Reitsma came on and struck out Preston Wilson before giving up Greene's winning single.
Helton finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and Greene had three RBIs for Colorado, which has won three of four since an eight-game losing streak.
Pirates 7, Giants 2
In San Francisco, Ty Wigginton hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Daryle Ward added a two-run shot, and Ray Sadler also connected for his first major league hit to lead Pittsburgh over San Francisco.
Josh Fogg (3-2) pitched seven strong innings in a gutsy effort on three days' rest for Pittsburgh, which began the day with a major league-best 18 home runs in May.
Wigginton sent a 3-2 pitch from Noah Lowry (1-4) over the center field wall for his second homer of the year in the seventh. It also scored Jose Castillo, who had tied the game with an RBI single. Ward hit his seventh homer in the ninth. Sadler, a rookie who had his contract purchased from Double-A Altoona on Sunday, homered in the third for his first hit in six career at-bats.
Diamondbacks 3, Nationals 2
In Phoenix, Chad Tracy hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning to lift Arizona over Washington.
Javier Vazquez pitched seven solid innings for the Diamondbacks, who earned their second consecutive win over the Washington franchise which had won 10 straight against Arizona over the last two years.
With the score tied at 2, Troy Glaus and Shawn Green singled off Jon Rauch (1-3) with one out in the eighth. Tracy followed with a sharp liner to right, scoring Glaus and giving Arizona a 3-2 lead.
Lance Cormier (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win, and Brandon Lyon earned his major league-leading 13th save.
Cardinals 9, Dodgers 3
In St. Louis, Larry Walker had three of St. Louis' season-high 19 hits and drove in three runs, backing a strong seven-inning effort by Jeff Suppan to beat Los Angeles.
Suppan (3-3) gave up three runs on nine hits with a season-best seven strikeouts and no walks, and added an RBI single in a three-run fifth.
David Eckstein had four hits and an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 12 games for St. Louis. Brad Penny (2-1) was the loser.
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