National League roundup

[May 12, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Johan Santana would be just about unbeatable if he got any help from his teammates.

Derek Lowe outlasted Santana in a matchup of NL East aces, pitching the Atlanta Braves to an 8-3 victory Monday night that ended the New York Mets' seven-game winning streak.

In a season-long trend that has become maddening for the Mets, they provided Santana with little support on offense or defense. Jose Reyes' two-out error at shortstop in the seventh inning led to four runs, saddling Santana (4-2) with his second loss this year when he did not allow an earned run.

"It's crazy that it happened twice already," Santana said. "There's not many things I can do."

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was pulled after 108 pitches with the score tied at 1. He lowered his NL-best ERA to 0.78 through seven starts -- but somehow New York has lost three of them.

"Hopefully, there will come a point where we will pick him up," manager Jerry Manuel said. "I think it's just coincidence, I really do. He's the type of guy that gets everybody up before his game. He might be getting 'em too geeked -- that might be it. I think it'll turn around."

Matt Diaz's two-run single off Pedro Feliciano snapped a 1-all tie in the seventh, and Casey Kotchman followed with another two-run single.

That was more than enough for Lowe (5-1), who won his fourth straight start.

"It was a matchup as advertised," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "Derek was on top of his game and certainly Santana was, too."

The Braves have won five of six on an eight-game road trip against the three teams ahead of them in the standings. This was their first visit to Citi Field, the Mets' new ballpark.

"I love facing guys like that, especially Santana. He's going to beat you more than you're going to beat him, but it's fun to be in those games," Lowe said. "It's fun to challenge yourself to see if you can step up when you have to."

Both teams played without a big bopper. Carlos Delgado sat out for the Mets because of a recurring hip injury, while Chipper Jones was sidelined for Atlanta due to a sore right elbow.

Lowe gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. The Mets pursued the sinkerballer in the offseason but were outbid by the Braves, who signed him to a $60 million, four-year contract.

New York then turned its attention to re-signing Oliver Perez, a major bust this year who is currently on the disabled list.

Santana was charged with two unearned runs in 6 1-3 innings. He dropped to 0-4 with a 2.31 ERA in six career starts against Atlanta, one of three teams he has never beaten. Colorado and Minnesota are the others.

The Mets have scored 15 runs in Santana's seven outings this year, 11 while he was on the mound. They have 139 runs in their other 24 games, an average of 5.79.

"It's hard to believe," Reyes said. "We feel bad right now."

Giants 11, Nationals 7

At San Francisco, Randy Johnson struck out nine in his 298th career victory, and Randy Winn had three hits and scored three runs for the Giants.

Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 29 games and went 4 for 5 with two homers for the Nationals, including a three-run shot in the ninth.

Zimmerman hit a solo shot in the sixth off the 6-foot-10 Johnson (3-3), who yielded eight hits and four runs while outdueling 6-9 Daniel Cabrera in the tallest pitching matchup in baseball history.

Cabrera (0-4) gave up eight hits and six walks in his 12th straight start without a victory.

Zimmerman extended the longest hitting streak in the Nationals' brief history and the longest by a third baseman in a quarter-century with the first-inning single. With his ninth-inning homer, Zimmerman improved to 48 for 126 (.381) since the streak began.

Reds 13, Diamondbacks 5

At Phoenix, Willy Taveras matched a career high with five hits, and Adam Rosales had a homer and two doubles for Cincinnati.

Taveras, who had four singles and a double, scored four runs and drove in two. He had five hits on April 25, 2007, at the New York Mets.

Bronson Arroyo (5-2) allowed five runs and 10 hits in seven innings, striking out five.

The Reds jumped on Arizona starter Jon Garland (3-2) early, scoring one run in the first, three in the third and three in the fourth.

Justin Upton's two-run homer stretched his hitting streak to 18 games and brought Arizona within 4-2, but hitter Laynce Nix led off the fourth with a homer and three pitches later, Rosales made it 6-2.

Garland went 3 2-3 innings, allowing seven runs and 10 hits.

Arizona lost for the third time in four games under new manager A.J. Hinch.

[Associated Press; By MIKE FITZPATRICK]

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