NATIONAL LEAGUE
Ryan Braun had four hits for a second straight game, including a two-run homer in the ninth, as Milwaukee beat St Louis 4-3 on Thursday night for its eighth straight victory.
The Brewers swept a series in St Louis for the first time since September 1999.
PHOTO: AP
Braun had four hits in Wednesday’s 3-0 victory. His home run off Ryan Franklin (3-4) gave the Brewers a 4-3 lead and was his 26th of the season. It allowed the Brewers to set a franchise record with a home run in their 20th consecutive game.
Eric Gagne (3-2) picked up the win with one scoreless inning of relief. Solomon Torres recorded his 19th save by striking out the side in the ninth.
J.J. Hardy, who had three hits, started the ninth-inning rally with a one-out single. The Brewers’ Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters — Hardy, Braun and Prince Fielder — had nine of their 10 hits.
METS 3, PHILLIES 1
At New York, Carlos Delgado hit a tie-breaking, two-run double in the eighth inning to help New York take sole possession of first place in the NL East.
Oliver Perez struck out 12 in 7 2-3 innings, and Billy Wagner got three outs for his second save in as many days. The Mets took two of three in the series after blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning of the opener. They are alone on top for the first time since April 19.
New York improved to 9-4 against the Phillies this year, after going 6-12 against them last season and losing the final eight meetings.
Eric Bruntlett had three hits for the Phillies.
Wagner, who earned his 26th save, missed the opener with a sore left shoulder.
GIANTS 1, NATIONALS 0
At San Francisco, Matt Cain pitched a four-hitter and Dave Roberts singled home a run in the eighth for the Giants, who earned their first three-game home sweep of the season.
Cain (6-8) retired his first 11 batters and didn’t issue a walk for the first time this year. He struck out four to boost his season total to 130.
This was the Giants’ seventh shutout this year and the 13th time Washington has been blanked, a major league high.
With his fourth career complete game, Cain became the first San Francisco pitcher to throw a shutout since Noah Lowry on Aug. 21, 2006, against Arizona.
Tim Redding (7-5) allowed seven hits in eight-plus innings, struck out five and didn’t walk a batter for the second time in three starts.
PIRATES 9, PADRES 1
At Pittsburgh, Yoslan Herrera pitched six shutout innings for his first major league win, and Pittsburgh got back-to-back homers from Jason Bay and Xavier Nady.
Nate McLouth homered and had three RBIs for the Pirates, who have won four straight. They stopped a six-game skid against the Padres, who have lost nine of 10 overall.
San Diego owns the worst record in the major leagues at 38-65.
Herrera (1-1), making his third big league start since being called up from Double-A on July 12, allowed six singles and one walk while striking out four.
Bay and Nady opened the fourth with home runs against Clay Hensley (1-1) to get the Pirates started with a 4-0 lead.
Hensley, making his first start of the season, allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings.
CUBS 6, MARLINS 3
At Chicago, Carlos Zambrano pitched seven solid innings as Chicago snapped a 10-game losing streak to Florida.
After a 2-4 road trip, the Cubs got home runs from Henry Blanco and Ronny Cedeno and a two-run double from Aramis Ramirez to improve to 38-12 at Wrigley Field.
Hanley Ramirez homered for the Marlins, who have lost three of four overall and lost to the Cubs for the first time since April 25, 2006.
Zambrano (11-4) held the Marlins to two runs and five hits, striking out six and hitting a batter.
Carlos Marmol, subbing for closer Kerry Wood who was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the game, got four outs for his fourth save.
Trailing 2-1, the Cubs got to Florida starter Scott Olsen (6-5) in the fifth. Mark DeRosa drew a leadoff walk and Blanco singled.
One out later, Zambrano ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to tie the game. After an intentional walk and a forceout, Olsen walked Derrek Lee to make it 3-2. Aramis Ramirez followed with a double to put the Cubs up 5-2. Blanco hit a solo homer in the sixth.
Olsen allowed six runs and seven hits.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, BALTIMORE
Roy Halladay scattered seven hits over seven innings Thursday in Toronto’s 7-1 victory over Baltimore that followed the Blue Jays’ 5-1 win in the completion of a suspended game.
Halladay (12-7) allowed one run, struck out six and walked one.
The right-hander took over the major league lead in innings pitched (159 1-3) and lowered his ERA to 2.82.
Halladay improved to 18-4 lifetime against the Orioles, who fell a season-worst five games under .500 (48-53).
Adam Lind and Marco Scutaro both had three hits for the Blue Jays, who won three of four from Baltimore after losing their previous seven series on the road.
Seven Blue Jays had hits, five players scored and the bullpen was perfect after Halladay departed. Even Gregg Zaun snapped a 0-for-19 skid with a two-run single.
The game was halted by rain in the sixth inning on Wednesday night after A.J. Burnett (11-9) allowed one run in five innings. Three relievers allowed two hits over the final four innings.
ROYALS 4, RAYS 2
At Kansas City, Gil Meche pitched seven scoreless innings after a shaky start and John Buck drove in two runs, helping the Royals hold off Tampa Bay to extend the AL East leaders’ road losing streak to seven games.
Meche (8-9) had a miserable first inning, needing 26 minutes and 31 pitches to get out of it. But he did it without giving up a run.
The right-hander gave up five hits and walked one, beating an AL East team for the first time in seven starts this season.
Joakim Soria allowed a run in the ninth before earning his 27th save in 29 chances.
Rays starter Matt Garza (8-6) dropped to 0-4 in five career starts against the Royals.
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