NL capsules

[May 24, 2012]  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run double in a six-run first inning, Jonathan Lucroy added a two-run homer in the second and the Milwaukee Brewers rocked Barry Zito again at Miller Park in an 8-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Zito (3-2) gave up eight runs -- four earned -- five hits and four walks in three innings, dropping to 0-4 with a 7.67 ERA in eight starts at Miller Park.

Jose Veras (3-1) struck out three over two hitless innings in relief of Marco Estrada, who left after injuring his right hip while running out a first-inning double. John Axford pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

METS 3, PIRATES 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Jonathon Niese (3-2) ended a six-start winless streak, allowing one run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings as New York won for the third time in four games.

Bobby Parnell struck out Andrew McCutchen with runners on second and third to end the eighth. Frank Francisco completed the five-hitter with a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

Charlie Morton (2-5) lost for the fourth time in five starts.

ASTROS 5, CUBS 1

HOUSTON (AP) -- J.D. Martinez had three hits and three RBIs and the Houston Astros sent the Cubs to their ninth straight loss, their longest skid in more than a decade.

The Cubs last dropped nine in a row from May 8-18, 2002.

Wandy Rodriguez (4-4) allowed one run in seven innings.

Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija (4-3) yielded two runs in six innings.

PHILLIES 4, NATIONALS 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Cole Hamels pitched eight scoreless innings, finishing up by retiring Bryce Harper on a grounder as the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a season-long four-game losing streak with a win over Washington.

Hamels (7-1) didn't allow a hit until Danny Espinosa doubled with one out in the sixth. The left-hander is tied with St. Louis' Lance Lynn for the major league lead in the victories after winning his seventh straight decision, allowing four hits and striking out eight.

Hamels faced Washington for the first time since intentionally hitting the 19-year-old Harper on May 6. The incident sparked a firestorm, with Hamels earning a five-game suspension and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo getting fined for his critical comments of Hamels.

Edwin Jackson (1-2) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

CARDINALS 6, PADRES 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Carlos Beltran hit his NL-leading 14th home run and the Cardinals beat up on former St. Louis postseason star Jeff Suppan to complete a three-game sweep of San Diego.

Rookie Lance Lynn (7-1) tied the Phillies' Cole Hamels for the major league victory lead.

David Freese snapped a 3-for-34 slump with a homer and RBI single as the Cardinals had more than enough offense minus injured starters Lance Berkman, Jon Jay and Allen Craig.

Will Venable hit his sixth career leadoff home run and also doubled and singled for the Padres.

Suppan (2-3) was the 2006 NL championship series MVP for the Cardinals and was the lone pitcher on that World Series title team to win a game in each round.

ROCKIES 8, MARLINS 4

MIAMI (AP) -- Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in four runs to help Alex White earn his first victory this year, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a six-game losing streak by beating Miami.

White (1-3) had lost six consecutive starts since September. He gave up four runs in six innings.

The Rockies, who blew early leads of 4-0 and 3-0 in the first two games of the series, won after trailing 3-0.

Tulowitzki hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fifth inning off Carlos Zambrano (2-3) and doubled home a run in the fourth. Carlos Gonzalez added two hits and two RBIs.

REDS 2, BRAVES 1

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Todd Frazier hit a one-out homer in the ninth inning, extending the Cincinnati Reds' best surge of the season with a victory over Atlanta.

The Reds won their fifth in a row, leaving them five games over .500 (24-19) for the first time this season.

Frazier connected for his first game-ending homer on the second pitch from Cristhian Martinez (2-1), who came on to start the ninth. It was a fitting ending for a series that has been decided by solo homers -- 11 in all during the three games.

Aroldis Chapman (4-0) kept his ERA perfect by fanning two of the three he faced in the ninth. The left-hander hasn't allowed an earned run in 24 1-3 innings, ascending to the closer's role.

DIAMONDBACKS 11, DODGERS 4

PHOENIX (AP) -- Justin Upton and Ryan Roberts homered and every Arizona starter had at least one hit and the Diamondbacks ended Los Angeles' six-game winning streak.

Willie Bloomquist had three hits, including an RBI triple, and Aaron Hill had two hits and two RBIs as the Diamondbacks won for only the second time in their past 11 home games.

Joe Saunders (3-3) struck out a season-high seven. He also recorded his first hit of the year, a single in the fifth that stopped his 0-for-13 skid at the plate.

Ted Lilly (5-1) went 3 1-3 innings, his shortest outing since September 16, 2010, at San Francisco. He gave up eight runs on nine hits and five walks.

[Associated Press]

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