HOUSTON — Carlos Zambrano pitched a three-hitter for his first win of the season, and Giancarlo Stanton extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-run homer, leading the Miami Marlins to their seventh straight win, 4-0 over the
HOUSTON — Carlos Zambrano pitched a three-hitter for his first win of the season, and Giancarlo Stanton extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-run homer, leading the Miami Marlins to their seventh straight win, 4-0 over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
Stanton’s homer into the Crawford Boxes in left field put Miami up 2-0 in the fourth inning and gives him six home runs and 12 RBIs during his streak. Logan Morrison walked with one out before Stanton went deep.
John Buck extended the lead to 3-0 when he sent the first pitch of the fifth inning into the right field stands. Hanley Ramirez added a solo shot, which bounced off the train tracks above the left center field wall, in the ninth inning to make it 4-0.
It was the first complete game and first shutout for Zambrano since a two-hit shutout against San Francisco on Sept. 25, 2009.
Zambrano (1-2), whose only no-hitter came against the Astros, struck out a season-best nine and never allowed a batter past first base. He walked one and hit two batters while improving to 10-4 in 19 appearances at Minute Maid Park.
Wandy Rodriguez (3-3) gave up a season-high four earned runs in eight-plus innings.
DODGERS 9, GIANTS 1
LOS ANGELES — Ted Lilly outpitched Barry Zito through six innings and Los Angeles beat San Francisco in the Dodgers’ first home game since changing ownership last week.
Lilly (4-0) allowed a run and four hits, walked two and struck out six.
The Dodgers tacked on five runs in the eighth against an injury-depleted Giants bullpen that was further hurt on Monday by the announcement of Guillermo Mota’s 100-game suspension for a second violation of baseball’s drug policy.
The rally included a two-run single by Andre Ethier, who leads the NL with 30 RBIs.
Zito (1-1) gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings.
CUBS 5, BRAVES 1
CHICAGO — Jeff Samardzija allowed five hits and a run over seven strong innings, and Bryan LaHair, Ian Stewart and Geovany Soto each homered to lead Chicago past Atlanta.
Samardzija (4-1), who gave up a solo homer to Jason Heyward in the second inning, walked two and struck out seven in a 105-pitch outing to help the Cubs win for the third time in four games.
LaHair drove Tommy Hanson’s first pitch of the bottom of the fourth high over the right field wall for his eighth homer of the season. One pitch later, Stewart connected on his third — also to right — to make it 2-1. Soto hit a two-run homer off Chad Durbin in the eighth.
Hanson (3-3) gave up five hits and two runs in six innings.
METS 5, PHILLIES 2
PHILADELPHIA — Pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin hit a three-run homer off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth for his first major league hit, leading New York over Philadelphia.
David Wright hit a tying two-run double in the sixth to help the injury-plagued Mets win their third straight.
Valdespin, called up to replace injured shortstop Ruben Tejada, was 0 for 6 before hitting a drive way out to right off Papelbon (0-1).
Tim Byrdak (1-0) retired the only batter he faced to get the win and Frank Francisco worked the ninth to earn his eighth save.
CARDINALS 9,
DIAMONDBACKS 6
PHOENIX — Lance Lynn gave up three hits through five scoreless innings to become the majors’ first six-game winner at 6-0, and St. Louis held on to beat Arizona.
Rafael Furcal hit the 30th leadoff home run of his career for St. Louis, the first of five homers for the Cardinals. Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday hit consecutive homers to open the third off Joe Saunders (2-2). Allen Craig and David Freese homered to start the seventh after Arizona had scored six times in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-6.
Cody Ransom hit a two-run homer in the Diamondbacks’ rally.
Saunders allowed seven runs — six earned — on nine hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings.
REDS 6, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE — Jay Bruce hit a three-run home run and Bronson Arroyo pitched solidly into the seventh inning to lead Cincinnati over Milwaukee.
Bruce’s ninth home run capped a five-run fourth inning off Marco Estrada (0-2). Bruce extended his hitting streak to 10 games and is batting .405 (15 for 37) with six home runs and 12 RBIs during the run.
Arroyo (2-1) gave up a homer to Ryan Braun in the first — the NL MVP’s ninth. The right-hander settled down after that, giving up six hits with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Estrada gave up five runs on eight hits in seven innings of work.
PADRES 3, ROCKIES 2
SAN DIEGO — Yonder Alonso drove in two runs to help Edinson Volquez get his first victory with San Diego with a win over Colorado.
Volquez (1-2), obtained in an offseason trade with Cincinnati, allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked four.
The Rockies lost their fourth straight game and their shaky rotation took another hit as left-hander Drew Pomeranz left with a bruised right quad in the fourth.
Pomeranz (0-2) allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, walked three and struck out two. He allowed a run in the second on a wild pitch.
