Greg Maddux threw seven scoreless innings, giving him victories in his first four starts for the first time in his career and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Sunday.
"You watch Greg Maddux, that's an art," outfielder Juan Pierre said.
Maddux (4-0) held the Cardinals to five hits and also singled, helping the Cubs avert a three-game sweep and win for the first time in three games since losing Derrek Lee for at least two months with a broken wrist. This is the first 4-0 start for Maddux since 2000 with the Braves when he needed six starts, and it's his first four-game winning streak since July-August 2004.
"I wish I could explain it," Maddux said. "Personally, I'm just getting ready to pitch like I always have, I'm just catching a lot of breaks. Sometimes you catch a few breaks in this game, and right now I am."
Jacque Jones hit his second homer, and second against the Cardinals, leading off the fourth against Jason Marquis (3-1).
Aramis Ramirez, who entered the game in a 3-for-18 slump, hit a two-run shot into the visitor's bullpen beyond the left-field wall in the fifth.
Todd Walker batted in Lee's third slot for the third straight game and had two hits and three RBIs to raise his average to .408 for the Cubs, who completed a 5-4 road trip.
Albert Pujols, who had six RBIs the first two games of the series and entered with the major league lead in homers (11) and RBIs (26), was 0-for-4 for the Cardinals.
Astros 7, Pirates 2
At Houston, Morgan Ensberg and Craig Biggio homered, Roy Oswalt went seven innings and Houston won its third straight game.
Houston scored four runs in the first inning against Pittsburgh starter Paul Maholm (0-3).
Ensberg extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with a two-run homer to center field in the first. He has homered in seven of the last eight games.
Biggio homered on Maholm's first pitch of the game. It was his 46th career leadoff homer, which is second behind Rickey Henderson's 80. Biggio went 4-for-4.
Oswalt (4-0) allowed six hits and one run with seven strikeouts in his 150th career start.
Freddy Sanchez homered for Pittsburgh, which has lost four in a row.
Phillies 4, Marlins 2
At Philadelphia, Ryan Howard homered twice and Brett Myers pitched six solid innings to lead Philadelphia to a much-needed victory at home.
Philadelphia improved to 3-8 at Citizens Bank Park.
Myers (2-0) scattered six hits, struck out five and walked three. Ryan Franklin and Arthur Rhodes each pitched a scoreless inning and Tom Gordon struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save in five opportunities.
Miguel Olivo homered and drove in two runs for Florida, which lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Howard, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, homered in consecutive innings off Sergio Mitre (1-2). He hit a 496-foot solo homer in the second inning.
Reds 11, Brewers 0
At Milwaukee, Aaron Harang pitched a five-hitter and Brandon Phillips drove in four runs for Cincinnati.
Harang (3-1), starting on three days' rest for the first time in his career, shut down the Brewers -- who hit five home runs off Reds pitching in a single inning on Saturday -- to pick up his third victory. He walked two and struck out four to earn his first shutout since 2004.
Harang started in place of Eric Milton, who is headed to the disabled list with a knee injury.
Brewers starter Doug Davis (0-2) tied the franchise-record with nine walks and made a throwing error. He gave up three runs and three hits in five innings.
Philips hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning.
Rockies 3, Giants 2, 10 innings
At Denver, Miguel Ojeda's RBI single off Jeff Fassero with two outs in the 10th inning lifted Colorado to the win.
Eli Marrero drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Choo Freeman grounded out to shortstop, Fassero (1-1) thought he got Ojeda looking at strike three and began trotting off the mound.
After composing himself, Fassero threw a 2-2 fastball that Ojeda hit up the middle, and Marrero scored from second, just beating Steve Finley's throw home.
David Cortes (3-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win. Marrero also homered in the fifth.
The game featured four hit batters and five ejections.
Padres 7, Mets 4
At San Diego, Brian Giles hit a grand slam and San Diego salvaged a split of its four-game series with New York.
San Diego starter Clay Hensley (1-1) worked 5 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits. He walked three and struck out three in his third career start.
The Padres scored four runs in the fourth after Mets starter Victor Zambrano (1-2) retired the first two hitters of the inning. Hensley singled, Dave Roberts walked and Josh Barfield had a base hit to load the bases for Giles, who hit his fifth career grand slam.
Giles' second homer of the season made it 5-0 to San Diego.
Barfield hit a solo home run in the first and scored three times.
Trevor Hoffman worked the ninth for his third save in as many opportunities.
Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 4
At Los Angeles, J.D. Drew homered and Bill Mueller drove in two runs for Los Angeles.
Brett Tomko (2-1) gave up two runs -- one earned -- and four hits over six innings while striking out four for Los Angeles, which scored four runs in the first inning.
Hong-Chih Kuo pitched 1 2-3 innings in relief of Tomko and was charged with two runs in the eighth, after Danys Baez gave up an RBI single by Johnny Estrada and a run-scoring double by pinch-hitter Tony Clark. But Baez got the last four outs for his fifth save in six chances.
Arizona's Russ Ortiz (0-3) threw 63 pitches and lasted just 1 2-3 innings, allowing four runs, four hits and five walks.
Braves 3, Nationals 1
At Washington, Wilson Betemit hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning for Atlanta to win.
The go-ahead homer came on a 1-2 pitch off Gary Majewski (1-1), Washington's fourth pitcher. Atlanta wasn't able to get anything going against starter Tony Armas Jr., who threw 6 1-3 scoreless innings and allowed only three singles.
Atlanta's John Thomson gave up one run on consecutive doubles by Nick Johnson and Jose Guillen in the first inning.
Lance Cormier (1-1) threw a perfect seventh to get the win and Mike Remlinger got his first save of the season.
Jason Giambi homered twice and drove in five runs, Randy Johnson had little trouble dominating Baltimore, and the New York Yankees cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Orioles on Sunday.
"This is the best I've felt in a while, putting on the Yankee uniform," Giambi said. "My swing has felt good this year."
Derek Jeter added three hits for the Yankees, who took two of three in the series. New York has won 11 of 14 against Baltimore dating to last season.
Miguel Tejada homered and had all three hits off Johnson (3-2), who tossed eight efficient innings, striking out five and walking one. The Big Unit has won his last six decisions against the Orioles, who stacked their lineup with eight right-handed hitters to no avail.
Johnson threw 94 pitches and earned his 266th win, tying Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 33rd place on Major League Baseball's career list.
Baltimore starter Bruce Chen (0-3) allowed five runs -- three earned -- and 10 hits in four-plus innings. He has given up eight home runs in 20 2-3 innings this season.
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 3
At Toronto, David Ortiz homered and had a rare bunt single to help Boston end a three-game losing streak.
Ortiz hit a two-run shot off Josh Towers (0-4) in the first for his eighth home run. He has 10 homers in his last 13 games against Toronto.
When Toronto's defense shaded toward right field in a defensive shift in the sixth, Ortiz executed a perfect bunt between the mound and third base. Third baseman Troy Glaus, playing short, didn't even get a throw off.
It was Ortiz's second career bunt, his previous was in August versus Anaheim.
Boston starter Matt Clement (2-1) allowed three runs and seven hits, while striking out four and walking two in 5 1-3 innings.
White Sox 7, Twins 3
At Chicago, Juan Uribe hit two home runs and the White Sox won their eighth straight.
Joe Crede and Uribe hit back-to-back solo homers with two out in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie. And Brian Anderson followed Uribe's three-run shot in the sixth with a solo drive off Minnesota starter Carlos Silva as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep and won for the 12th time in 13 games.
Jose Contreras (3-0) won his 11th straight regular-season decision, allowing six hits in eight innings. His last loss was on Aug. 15.
The White Sox outscored the Twins 16-3 in the first two games of the series and jumped all over Silva (1-3) for 13 hits in 5 2-3 innings in this one.
Rangers 8, Devil Rays 3
At Arlington, Texas, Mark Teixeira, Phil Nevin and Kevin Mench all homered in the third inning to lift Texas.
Rookie John Koronka (3-1) allowed three runs and five hits in a career-high eight innings. Koronka struck out eight to win his third straight start. He allowed only one hit after the third inning.
The Rangers, who have won eight of 10, scored six runs in the third inning to help complete a three-game sweep of the Devil Rays.
Jonny Gomes hit his ninth home run for Tampa Bay, which has lost five of six on its nine-game trip. Gomes, who homered in the sixth off Koronka, has four homers in his past four games.
All three Texas homers in the third came off starter Casey Fossum (0-1). It was the first time the Rangers have hit three homers in an inning since July.
Mench has homered in three straight games and has 12 RBIs over his past four games.
Royals 5, Indians 1
At Kansas City, Missouri, Jeremy Affeldt pitched into the sixth inning to pick up the first victory by a Kansas City starter this season.
Affeldt, who held Cleveland to four hits and one run in 5 1-3 innings, became the first Royals starter to earn a win since J.P. Howell on Sept. 26. Royals starters were 0-9 with a 6.25 ERA this season before Sunday.
Kansas City beat Cleveland 11-5 on Saturday to snap an 11-game losing streak.
Affeldt picked up his first victory as a starter since July 2003. He spent all of last season in the bullpen and most of 2004. Affeldt (1-2) threw 94 pitches, walked two and struck out a season-high six.
Indians right-hander Jason Johnson (2-1) allowed four runs and nine hits with one walk in six innings.
Ronnie Belliard homered for the Indians, and the Royals Angel Berroa went 4-for-4.
Tigers 6, Mariners 4
At Seattle, Justin Verlander pitched seven strong innings and Craig Monroe hit a three-run home run in the eighth to help Detroit complete a three-game sweep of slumping Seattle.
Verlander (2-2) allowed one run and four hits for the Tigers, who won their fifth straight game and completed their first series sweep in Seattle since 2000.
Leading 3-1 in the eighth, reliever Clint Nageotte walked Carlos Guillen and then intentionally walked Chris Shelton before Monroe's homer made it 6-1.
The Mariners closed to 6-4 in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double by Richie Sexson and a two-run double by Adrian Beltre. Seattle loaded the bases before reliever Fernando Rodney -- who had three saves while Todd Jones was out with a pulled hamstring -- got pinch-hitter Roberto Petagine to strike out.
Jones pitched the ninth for his second save in two games.
Mariners starter Felix Hernandez (0-3) was nearly as good as Verlander. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings. He walked only one and struck out nine.
Angels 4, Athletics 3
At Oakland, California, Vladimir Guerrero homered and drove in three runs and Kelvim Escobar pitched seven strong innings for Los Angeles.
Guerrero, the 2004 American League MVP, entered the series finale mired in a 4-for-27 funk but made the most of his at-bats and hit safely for the 14th time in 19 games.
Nick Swisher hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season for Oakland with a solo shot to right in the sixth. Milton Bradley homered leading off the seventh for the A's.
Escobar (3-1) retired the first nine A's hitters -- four on fly balls to center -- before allowing three straight singles to start the fourth by Mark Kotsay, Swisher and Eric Chavez.
The Boston Red Sox and their former first baseman, Doug Mientkiewicz, agreed to end their legal fight over ownership of the ball from the final out of the 2004 World Series by sending it to the Hall of Fame.
"An amicable agreement was reached many weeks ago, and it provides a permanent home at the [Hall of Fame], with opportunities for some public display as well at Fenway Park," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said via e-mail on Sunday.
Pitcher Keith Foulke fielded the ball off the bat of Edgar Renteria on Oct. 27, 2004, and threw to Mientkiwicz for the final out of Boston's four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was Boston's first World Series title since 1918.
Mientkiewicz held onto the ball, gave it to his wife, and then secured it in a safe deposit box and claimed it as his own, joking that it was his ``retirement fund.''
The Red Sox said they were the rightful owners of the ball, and even though Mientkiewicz loaned the team the ball for a year, the team went to court last November to get permanent ownership.
The suit was dropped a few days later and the sides agreed to arbitration.
Mientkiewicz is now playing for the Kansas City Royals.
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