A.J. Burnett won his seventh straight start and combined with Todd Jones on Florida's third consecutive shutout, a 3-0 victory over Los Angeles on Friday night.
Paul Lo Duca's two-run single broke up a scoreless tie in the seventh. Burnett (12-6) allowed six hits in eight-plus innings to set a Marlins record with his 49th career victory.
Burnett struck out nine, walked one and matched his career high for wins in a season. The Marlins, who blanked San Diego on Wednesday and Thursday, lead the major leagues with 15 shutouts.
Jones entered with two on in the ninth and struck out three straight batters for his 27th save.
Florida won with only four hits. D.J. Houlton (4-7) retired the first 13 batters and took a shutout into the seventh, but the Marlins loaded the bases with one out, and Lo Duca's single put them ahead.
Houlton, winless since June 27, has lost six consecutive decisions. Los Angeles has scored a total of three runs in his past four starts.
Cubs 5, Rockies 3
In Denver, Mark Prior struck out 10 in six strong innings, then got relief help from Kerry Wood again. Todd Walker homered and Jeromy Burnitz drove in two runs for the Cubs, who have won three straight.
Prior (9-4) allowed two runs, five hits and two walks, improving to 4-1 in his last eight starts. He threw 118 pitches and fanned Todd Helton twice in the 20th double-digit strikeout game of his career.
After Roberto Novoa gave up a run in the seventh, Wood came on and struck out two in a scoreless eighth. He also helped preserve a win for Prior on Sunday night, a 5-4 victory over St. Louis. Ryan Dempster worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save.
Byung-Hyun Kim (3-10) allowed four runs, five hits and five walks in 4 2-3 innings. Jorge Piedra homered and Danny Ardoin had an RBI single for the Rockies, who have lost seven of eight.
Pirates 11, Phillies 2
In Philadelphia, Kip Wells allowed three hits over seven innings, hit a two-run homer and snapped a career-high four-game losing streak.
The right-hander improved to 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA against Philadelphia for his career. In his last win before the streak, Wells shut out the Phillies and struck out 12 on July 5.
Brad Eldred hit a two-run homer and Jack Wilson had two hits and two RBIs for the Pirates, who have won four of six.
Bobby Abreu went 0-for-3 and struck out three times for Philadelphia, which has lost two straight and three of five.
Wells (7-12) won for the first time since July 5, a span of seven starts. He walked one, struck out seven and allowed one run on Mike Lieberthal's RBI double in the fourth.
Mets 1, Nationals 0
In New York, Jae Seo allowed four hits in eight innings to outpitch John Patterson, and Victor Diaz drove in the game's only run in the seventh with a single.
Jose Reyes tied career highs with four hits -- all singles -- and three stolen bases, helping the Mets take the opener of the three-game series. New York is 17-4 in series openers at home, tops in the majors.
Seo (5-1) improved to 3-0 since the Mets recalled him from Triple-A Norfolk earlier this month. He matched the longest outing of his career -- last Saturday in a victory over Los Angeles -- and has allowed one run and 13 hits in 23 1-3 innings since his return.
Braden Looper got the final three outs for his 24th save.
Patterson (7-4) lost for the first time this month, allowing seven hits in seven innings. He had won all three starts in August, giving up four earned runs in 22 2-3 innings.
Reds 17, Diamondbacks 3
In Cincinnati, Austin Kearns hit three-run homers in consecutive innings and set a career high with six RBIs. Felipe Lopez added a three-run homer and Wily Mo Pena had a solo shot as the Reds set a season high for runs in a game and in one inning, scoring 10 in the fourth.
The Reds had 15 hits while winning consecutive home games for the first time since beating Chicago on July 21 and Milwaukee on July 22.
The Diamondbacks have lost five of their last six.
Brandon Claussen (8-8) went 6 2-3 innings to earn his fourth consecutive win in five starts and became the third Reds pitcher with eight wins. He allowed four hits and three runs with four walks and six strikeouts.
The Reds sent 12 batters to the plate in the third while matching their season high for hits in an inning with six. The Reds sent 14 batters to the plate in their 10-run fourth, which included Lopez's second homer in two days and Kearns' second homer of the game.
Russ Ortiz (4-7), making his second start since coming off the disabled list, gave up seven hits and six runs with five walks in 2 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.
Padres 12, Braves 7
In Atlanta, Joe Randa hit a three-run homer and San Diego matched its season high with 20 hits.
The Padres improved to 4-0 this season against Atlanta, moved within a game of .500 (60-61) and pushed their lead in the NL West to four games over second-place Arizona. They swept a three-game series against the Braves in San Diego on May 16-18.
Mike Hampton (5-3) gave up 11 hits and seven runs -- both season highs -- in 3 1-3 innings.
Randa's homer, his 14th, capped a six-run fourth and gave the Padres an 8-3 lead.
Braves rookie Jeff Francoeur was 3-for-4, including an RBI double. Adam LaRoche's third hit, a seventh-inning single, cut the lead to 9-7, but pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney's three-run homer in the eighth restored San Diego's five-run lead.
Chan Ho Park (2-1) gave up six hits and five runs in 5 1-3 innings.
Astros 5, Brewers 3
In Houston, Pinch-hitter Jose Vizcaino tied the game with a single in the seventh and Houston added two more runs in the inning on a wild pitch and an error. The win snapped the Astros' three-game losing streak and moved them one-half game ahead of Philadelphia and Florida in the NL wild-card race.
Russ Springer (4-3) pitched 1 1-3 perfect innings for the win. After two relievers pitched another 1 1-3 innings, Brad Lidge got the last two outs for his 30th save.
Doug Davis (9-9) failed to win his 10th game for the 11th straight time. He has eight no-decisions to go with three losses in that span. He hasn't won since June 22, against Chicago.
With two outs in the seventh, Chris Burke singled and Brad Ausmus walked to chase Doug Davis and bring on Kane Davis. Vizcaino singled to make it 1-1 with Ausmus going to third. Kane Davis then threw the wild pitch and Ausmus scored to make it 2-1.
After Willy Taveras walked, Craig Biggio hit a dribbler down the first-base line and Kane Davis hit Biggio with the ball trying to throw him out. It was ruled a single and Vizcaino scored on the error for a 3-1 lead.
Cardinals 5, Giants 4
In St. Louis, Jim Edmonds' two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth capped a five-run rally for St. Louis.
Yadier Molina hit a three-run homer -- his third hit of the game -- earlier in the inning to help get 17-game winner Chris Carpenter a no-decision and keep his nine-game winning streak alive.
Julian Tavarez (2-2) allowed an inherited runner to score in the ninth but got three outs for the win.
The Cardinals opened the ninth with four straight hits off closer Tyler Walker. Molina's sixth homer was the third of the hits and pinch-hitter John Rodriguez then singled to knock out Walker. Abraham Nunez singled with one out off Jeremy Accardo (0-3) and, after another out, Edmonds hit the game-winner off the right field wall on the first pitch from Jason Christiansen.
Omar Vizquel and Ray Durham homered for the Giants.
Carpenter, who leads the major leagues in victories, gave up four runs -- three earned -- and nine hits in eight-plus innings.
The Kansas City Royals lost their 19th straight game Friday, moving within two defeats of the American League record, and Jay Payton homered to help the Oakland Athletics snap a four-game skid with a 4-0 victory.
"It's 19 now? Wow," starting pitcher Jose Lima said. "I feel terrible, because I have pride. This is really tough. I know people are booing us, and we deserve to be booed."
Rich Harden (10-5) pitched 6 1-3 shutout innings to win for the first time in four outings since a four-start winning streak. He didn't allow a hit until Mike Sweeney's one-out double in the fourth.
Nick Swisher hit a pair of RBI doubles, playing in honor of his late grandmother after missing four games to attend her funeral in West Virginia. He wore Betty Swisher's "BLS" initials on his armbands and pointed to the sky after his hits.
Kansas City (38-82), owner of the worst record in baseball, lost its 12th straight road game -- tying the club's longest single-season mark, set by the 1997 squad.
"It's unexplainable, really," Kansas City manager Buddy Bell said. "I don't think we're a playoff-contending team by any means, but I don't think we're this bad. ... We'll be all right."
Baltimore lost an AL-record 21 in a row at the start of the 1988 season. The major league mark since 1900 is 23 straight losses by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961.
The Royals haven't won since beating the Chicago White Sox 6-5 in 13 innings on July 27.
Huston Street got five outs for his 16th save, completing the five-hitter.
Lima (4-12) lost his fourth straight outing.
Yankees 3, White Sox 1
At Chicago, Mike Mussina allowed five singles in seven innings and New York sent slumping Chicago to its season-worst sixth straight loss.
Mussina (12-7) got stronger after escaping the first inning, when the White Sox had three singles and scored their only run. He walked one and struck out seven while allowing just four baserunners after the opening inning.
Tom Gordon pitched the eighth and Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 33rd save in 37 tries. The Yankees' closer had blown two of his last three chances since converting a career-best 31 straight.
Twins 7, Mariners 4
At Minneapolis, Lew Ford hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning, Carlos Silva won for the first time since July 4 and surging Minnesota rallied past Seattle for its sixth straight victory.
Joe Mauer also homered and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which has won eight of nine. The Twins began the day 3 1/2 games behind AL wild-card leader Oakland.
Jeremy Reed connected for the Mariners.
With the score tied at 4 and two outs in the seventh, Ford hit a 1-0 pitch from Jeff Nelson into the left-field seats. It was the first three-run homer for the Twins since July 2.
Silva (8-6) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in seven innings. He finally got some run support, too.
Juan Rincon pitched a scoreless eighth, and Joe Nathan got his 31st save in 34 tries.
Indians 5, Orioles 4, 10 innings
At Cleveland, Ben Broussard homered leading off the 10th inning and Cleveland kept pace in the wild-card chase with a win over Baltimore.
Broussard, who had a signing engagement after the game at the House of Blues to promote his new CD, drove a 1-1 pitch from Steve Kline (2-4) over the right-field wall to cap the Indians' comeback.
Cleveland was down 4-1 in the eighth but tied it on Casey Blake's three-run homer.
The Indians, who entered the weekend 2 1/2 games behind Oakland for the wild-card lead, are 14-6 since July 28.
Aaron Boone also homered for Cleveland.
Rookie Francisco Cabrera (1-0) allowed one hit in 2 1-3 innings for his first major league win.
Devil Rays 2, Rangers 1
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Seth McClung allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, leading Tampa Bay past Texas.
McClung (4-7) struck out five and walked one as the Devil Rays improved to 21-12 since the All-Star break. Joe Borowski ran his scoreless stretch to 16 1-3 innings with a perfect eighth before Danys Baez got three outs for his 27th save in 34 opportunities.
Alex Gonzalez had an RBI single during a two-run sixth for Tampa Bay, which has won three straight and six of seven. Center fielder Joey Gathright made a leaping catch at the wall to take an extra-base hit away from Alfonso Soriano in the seventh.
Tigers 9, Blue Jays 5
At Detroit, Carlos Pena hit two long homers and drove in three runs in his first game back from the minors, sending Detroit to a win over Toronto.
Dmitri Young, Chris Shelton and Ivan Rodriguez also connected as the Tigers hit a season-high five homers to win for the fifth time in six games. Young and Shelton each drove in two runs.
Vernon Wells and pinch-hitter Eric Hinske homered for Toronto.
Tigers starter Mike Maroth (11-11) allowed four runs and 10 hits in 6 2-3 innings. Craig Dingman retired Wells with two on for his third save.
David Bush (2-7) lasted only 2 2-3 innings.
Red Sox 4, Angels 3, 10 innings
At Anaheim, California, Manny Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run on a groundout with the bases loaded in the 10th inning, leading Boston over Los Angeles in a matchup of AL division leaders.
Gabe Kapler and Johnny Damon opened the 10th with singles against Scot Shields (8-9). Roberto Petagine, who entered as the designated hitter when David Ortiz was ejected in the eighth, walked with one out to load the bases. Ramirez hit a slow bouncer to third baseman Chone Figgins, whose only play was to first.
Curt Schilling (5-5) pitched two perfect innings for the win, striking out four. John Olerud hit a two-run double for the Red Sox, and Johnny Damon had four hits.
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