Chris Carpenter pitched a complete game to become the first 17-game winner in Major League Baseball, and Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer Saturday in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Carpenter (17-4) threw an eight-hitter for his major league-leading sixth complete game, striking out eight and walking none to trim his ERA to 2.25. Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox had 16 wins going into his start Saturday against Boston.
"He pitched nine innings against a tough offensive club -- that's dominating," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
PHOTO: AP
Carpenter gave up six hits in the first three innings, but quickly settled down to win his ninth straight decision. He retired 13 of 14 hitters between the third and seventh.
"I just try to continue to go out and give my team a chance to win," Carpenter said. "With the defense and offense we have playing behind me, you're going to win a lot of ballgames."
Braves 9, Diamondbacks 5
In Atlanta, Chipper Jones had three hits, including a go-ahead double in the seventh inning, and Julio Franco drove in a season-high four runs to lead Atlanta past Arizona.
Only 10 days shy of his 47th birthday, Franco hit a three-run homer to help the Braves avoid their first three-game home losing streak this year.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Langerhans opened the seventh with a double off reliever Lance Cormier (7-3). Rafael Furcal walked, and both runners scored on Jones' double to center, breaking a 5-5 tie.
Mets 5, Dodgers 1
In Los Angeles, Seo Jae pitched eight sharp innings and New York got consecutive home runs from backup catcher Ramon Castro and emergency center fielder Gerald Williams in a victory over Los Angeles.
Williams made his second straight start in place of Carlos Beltran, who was back at the team's hotel two days after his violent, head-to-head collision with right fielder Mike Cameron in San Diego. Cameron was at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, recovering from successful surgery Friday night to repair a broken nose and two fractured cheekbones.
Seo (4-1) allowed five hits and struck out six, lowering his ERA to 1.35 in five starts with New York this season. The right-hander's streak of 20 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings -- the longest by any Mets pitcher this year -- ended when Olmedo Saenz hit an RBI double in the seventh.
Pirates 1, Astros 0
At Houston, Roger Clemens was foiled again by a lack of run support, and Jack Wilson homered off Brad Lidge in the ninth inning to give Pittsburgh a victory over Houston.
Clemens allowed two hits in eight shutout innings, lowering his major league-leading ERA to an incredible 1.32. He struck out nine and walked none, but the Astros couldn't muster any offense against Kip Wells and two relievers.
It was the ninth no-decision for the 43-year-old Clemens, and the sixth time the Astros have failed to score for him. He threw an economical 88 pitches but has not gone longer than eight innings this season.
Salomon Torres (3-4) worked a scoreless eighth, and Jose Mesa struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.
Wilson homered to left leading off the ninth against Lidge (3-3), his seventh.
Phillies 5, Padres 2
At San Diego, Ryan Howard's go-ahead RBI single was the third straight Philadelphia hit off Trevor Hoffman opening the ninth inning as the Phillies beat San Diego.
The Padres dropped to .500 (58-58) but kept their three-game lead over Arizona, which lost 9-5 at Atlanta. The Padres have lost two straight to the Phillies and three of five overall.
The Phillies have won five of seven and are 1 games behind Houston in the wild-card race.
Vicente Padilla, Ugueth Urbina (3-0), Aaron Fultz and Billy Wagner combined to six-hit the Padres. Wagner got the final two outs for his 27th save in 29 chances.
Hoffman (1-5) allowed four runs on four hits while getting only two outs.
Bernie Williams hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning, and the New York Yankees overcame Mariano Rivera's first blown save in more than four months to beat the fading Texas Rangers 7-5.
Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield each homered and drove in two runs for the Yankees (63-52), who won their third straight and moved 11 games over .500 for the first time this season. Rodriguez's American League-leading 34th homer was a mammoth shot to left, and it came one pitch after Sheffield's drive in the third inning.
Rivera squandered a save opportunity for the first time since blowing his first two chances of the season against Boston on April 5 and 6. He had converted a career-best 31 in a row.
Angels 9, Mariners 1
In Seattle, Ryan Franklin was roughed up in his return from a doping suspension, and Bartolo Colon pitched four-hit ball through eight innings to lead Los Angeles past Seattle.
Chone Figgins missed the cycle by a triple and Juan Rivera added three RBIs on three hits, including a solo homer. Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Molina each drove in two runs as the Angels piled up 15 hits.
Athletics 5, Twins 2
In Oakland, California, Jay Payton hit a three-run homer to lead Oakland over Minnesota for its Major League Baseball-leading 23rd win since the All-Star break.
Kirk Saarloos (8-6) won his third straight decision as the Athletics remained tied for the AL West lead. Kiko Calero, Jay Witasick and Huston Street each pitched a scoreless inning. Street put runners on second and third but struck out Jason Bartlett, Shannon Stewart and pinch-hitter Terry Tiffee for his 15th save.
Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer for the Twins.
Red Sox 7, White Sox 4
At Boston, David Ortiz went 3-for-4, stringing together seven consecutive hits over two days, and Tim Wakefield cruised into the seventh inning to lead Boston to its sixth straight victory.
Tony Graffanino also had three hits for Boston, which has won 13 consecutive home games and 14 of its last 16 overall.
The White Sox have the best record in baseball but need a win on Sunday to avoid their second sweep of the season.
Wakefield (12-9) took a shutout into the seventh before giving up consecutive homers to Paul Konerko and Aaron Rowand. The knuckleballer allowed seven hits in 6 2-3 innings for his fourth consecutive win.
Jon Garland (16-6) allowed five runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings, his second-shortest outing this year.
Devil Rays 8, Indians 2
At Cleveland, Jorge Cantu hit two of Tampa Bay's season-high five homers, and Seth McClung overcame a long rain delay to pitch shutout ball into the sixth inning as the Devil Rays defeated Cleveland.
The Devil Rays' second straight win gave them their first series victory in Cleveland.
Tampa Bay had gone 0-8-1 in nine previous trips to Jacobs Field, winning only seven of 28 games before this season.
McClung (3-7) won for the third time in five starts since July 22.
The Indians lost for the third time in 12 games and fell 4 games back in the AL wild-card race.
Cantu hit a two-run homer in the third as Tampa Bay took a 4-0 lead against Scott Elarton (7-6). Cantu hit a solo shot, his 18th of the season, off Jeremy Guthrie in the seventh.
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