NATIONAL LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, HOUSTON AND LOS ANGELES
Wandy Rodriguez shined both on the mound and at the plate as the Houston Astros shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 7-0 on Friday.
Rodriguez struck out seven in seven innings and gave the Astros a 2-0 lead over the World Series champions with an RBI double in the second to spark the slumping home team to just their third win in their last 11 games.
The left-hander continued his recent dominance and has allowed just one run or fewer in 10 of his past 12 starts.
“Wandy’s been great for us,” Astros outfielder Cecil Cooper told reporters. “I thought he was real sharp. He kept them off balance, and that’s what you have to do with good hitting teams.”
Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee lasted just three innings after giving up six runs and nine hits in his shortest outing since being acquired by the Phillies (77-55) from the Cleveland Indians in July.
Lee has lost his last two starts after winning the first five with the team.
Kazuo Matsui made it a tough night for Lee with a two-RBI double in the second inning and Hunter Pence hit his 21st home run of the year, a two-run shot, in the third.
Astros (64-70) slugger Carlos Lee followed with a solo homer in the fifth against reliever Jamie Moyer to cap the scoring.
Philadelphia tallied just seven hits and had the bases loaded with just one out in the seventh before Rodriguez got the last two outs to retire the threat.
“We have to do better,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “We had some chances to score some runs tonight, but we didn’t ... we couldn’t get a big hit.”
Despite the loss, the Phillies hold a seven-and-a-half game lead in the National League East as they drive toward their third straight division title, a feat they last achieved from 1976-1978.
PADRES 2, DODGERS 0
In Los Angeles, San Diego rookie Wade LeBlanc pitched six scoreless innings and the Padres scratched out a pair of early runs to shut out the home team.
LeBlanc retired his final nine batters in his fourth start of the season and eighth in the big leagues.
The only hits off the 25-year-old left-hander were a broken-bat single in the second inning and a third-inning single. He lowered his ERA from 9.58 to 6.06 while matching the longest outing of his brief career.
Los Angeles’ starter Clayton Kershaw was unlucky to take the loss, throwing 106 pitches over six innings and giving up only one earned run.
The Dodgers’ lead in the NL West was cut to four-and-a-half games.
GIANTS 3, BREWERS 2
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bengie Molina homered on the first pitch of the eighth to rally San Francisco over Milwaukee and keep up the pressure in the NL wild-card race.
The Giants stayed one game behind Colorado in the fight for the wild card.
The Giants scored two unearned runs before Molina’s shot to deep center field and worked around 10 walks, the most they’ve allowed in a nine-inning game this year.
ROCKIES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4
In Denver, Colorado, Jason Giambi got a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth to lift the hosts over Arizona.
After Yorvit Torrealba singled in the eighth and was bunted over to second, Giambi was brought in off the bench.
The veteran slugger lined a pitch into left-center, easily scoring Torrealba.
CARDINALS 14, PIRATES 7
In Pittsburgh, Ryan Ludwick homered twice as St Louis pounded Pittsburgh.
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright became the majors’ first 17-game winner despite giving up six runs in the fifth inning.
Last-place Pittsburgh lost its eighth straight despite briefly taking the lead in the fifth after trailing 5-0.
Ludwick went 5 for 5 with five RBIs for St Louis, which has won six of seven to extend its lead in the NL Central to 11-and-a-half games.
REDS 3, BRAVES 1
In Atlanta, Georgia, Cincinnati matched a season high with a fifth straight win, driving another nail into the home team’s faint wild card hopes.
Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo gave up one run in seven innings.
The Braves slipped to a third straight loss as they slide from playoff contention. Manager Bobby Cox was ejected for the seventh time this season, and the second time in two games, to extend his major league record to 150.
METS 6, CUBS 2
In New York, Cory Sullivan homered and made a diving catch in left field to help New York beat Chicago.
Pinch-hitter Fernando Tatis came through with a tiebreaking single that triggered a five-run eighth inning. Sullivan had an RBI single during the outburst and Omir Santos added a two-run single.
MARLINS 9, NATIONALS 6
In Washington, the hosts suffered a seventh consecutive loss, beaten by Florida.
John Baker homered and matched a career high with four RBIs, and Jorge Cantu also connected for the Marlins, who made it three straight to keep a pulse in their playoff ambitions.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, TORONTO
New York’s seven-game winning streak was ended by Toronto on Friday, with Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay pitching a one-hitter in the 6-0 win over the Yankees in the American League.
The complete game was the sixth of the season for Halladay, tying him with Kansas City’s Zack Greinke for the major league lead, and the 46th of his career.
It also ended a personal three-start losing streak.
New York retained a seven-and-a-half game lead in the AL East.
TIGERS 4, RAYS 3
In St Petersburg, Florida, pitcher Justin Verlander picked up his 16th win as Detroit edged Tampa Bay.
Verlander tied the New York Yankees’ C.C. Sabathia for the AL lead in victories after allowing one run over eight innings. He has won three consecutive starts.
Adam Everett hit a tiebreaking RBI single during a three-run ninth for the Tigers, who moved six games clear atop the AL Central while the Rays slipped further out of wild card calculations.
WHITE SOX 12, RED SOX 2
In Chicago, the hosts piled on 20 hits to rout Boston.
Mark Kotsay homered and had three RBIs against his former team as the White Sox batted around in the third and fourth, scoring five runs in each, to take a 12-1 lead. They had 16 hits after just four innings. Chris Getz went 4 for 5.
MARINERS 6, ATHLETICS 3
In Oakland, California, Jose Lopez homered as Seattle downed the home team.
Ichiro Suzuki took two hits to move within four of 2,000 in his career and is likely to become the second-fastest in history to reach that milestone, behind Al Simmons.
The Mariners moved eight games over .500 for the first time since 2007.
RANGERS 5, ORIOLES 1
In Baltimore, Maryland, Scott Feldman matched the Texas club record for road wins in a season, earning No. 11 with a dominant performance that carried the Rangers past the home team.
ANGELS 2, ROYALS 1
In Kansas City, Missouri, Jered Weaver allowed just one run over seven innings to guide Los Angeles to a tight win over the home team.
The Royals walked eight in three innings and dodged two jams before Vladimir Guerrero came through with a two-run single in the eighth.
INDIANS 5, TWINS 2
In Cleveland, Ohio, the hosts took advantage of Minnesota’s season-worst four errors, with Cleveland starter Jeremy Sowers pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs and no walks.
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