Sunday National League Capsules.

CHICAGO CUBS 5, HOUSTON 0

MILWAUKEE It was supposed to be a home game for the displaced Houston Astros. It wound up being historic for the Chicago Cubs.

Carlos Zambrano threw the first Cubs no-hitter in over 36 years, dispatching of the red-hot Astros at neutral Miller Park in a 5-0 victory Sunday.

It was the second no-hitter of the season and first since Jon Lester threw one May 19 for the Boston Red Sox. Zambrano struck out 10 batters and tossed the first Cubs no-hitter since Milt Pappas shut out the Padres on September 2, 1972 and handed the Astros just their second loss in their last 16 games.

The game was moved from Minute Maid Park when Hurricane Ike rampaged through the Houston area, leading to a veritable home game for the visitors as they needed to travel 100 miles while the quasi-hosts were required to log over 1,000 miles to get to Miller Park.

Despite only a 24-hour notice by Major League Baseball, the attendance climbed to 23,441 with the crowd decidedly cheering for Chicago, especially as Zambrano continued his run to history.

Zambrano (14-5) made his first start since September 2, skipping a turn after incurring inflammation in his rotator cuff.

He appeared to be in top form for most of this contest, allowing just two baserunners – walking Michael Bourn in the fourth hitting Hunter Pence with a pitch in the fifth, facing just one more than the minimum.

One batter after Bourn reached, Zambrano escaped any further damage when Miguel Tejada grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

The Cubs gave Zambrano plenty of early support as Alfonso Soriano homered to start the game – his fifth leadoff blast of the season and 49th of his career – to spot the Cubs an immediate 1-0 lead.

ATLANTA 7, NY METS 4

FLUSHING, New York The New York Mets just cant escape their bullpen woes.

Closer Luis Ayala ruined Oliver Perezs strong start, allowing pinch-hitter Greg Nortons three-run homer into the Mets bullpen and Pedro Feliciano gave up two more in the ninth as the Atlanta Braves rallied for a 7-4 victory.

The loss, their second in three tries, trimmed the advantage of the Mets (83-66) in the National League East to one game over the Philadelphia Phillies (82-67), who swpt the Milwaukee Brewers in their day-night doubleheader.

Fittingly in their Shea Stadium finale, the Braves scored five times in the ninth inning to steal the series. It was New Yorks 27th blown save of the year, the third most in the majors.

With Atlanta trailing, 4-2, Casey Kotchman and Kelly Johnson led off the ninth with singles off Ayala (2-9). Norton gave the Braves the lead when he slammed a 3-2 fastball over the wall in right, his seventh blast of the year. Feliciano certainly didnt help matters either, giving up three hits and two earned runs.

Former Mets pitcher Jorge Julio (2-0) picked up the win with one inning of shutout relief and closer Mike Gonzalez worked around two singles in the ninth for his 11th save of the season.

Wright and Carlos Delgado led off the ninth with singles, but Gonzalez retired Carlos Beltran, Fernando Tatis and Luis Castillo to end the game. The Mets left 12 men on base.

Wright began the 12th multi-homer game of his career – and third this seasonby sending a 3-2 fastball from Jorge Campillo over the wall in right in the first for his 30th of the year. In the third, following Daniel Murphys leadoff single, he laced a low fastball over the bleachers in left field, giving New York a 3-2 lead

Perez allowed two runs and four hits in the first three innings, including two hits to Chipper Jones in his Shea Stadium farewell. But he also stranded two runners apiece in the first and third and ended up retiring 13 of the last 15 he faced.

The lefthander, who has not lost since August 3, allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings, walking three with eight strikeouts.

PHILADELPHIA 7, MILWAUKEE 3 (1ST GAME)

PHILADELPHIA The Milwaukee Brewers ended up outsmarting themselves, and it cost them another game.

Pat Burrell snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI single and Shane Victorino followed with a three-run home run as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Brewers, 7-3, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Ryan Howard hit his 44th homer of the season for the Phillies (82-67).

The score was tied 3-3 in the eighth when Jayson Werth led off with a single off Guillermo Mota (5-6). Lefthander Brian Shouse was brought in to face lefthanded hitters Chase Utley and Howard.

Utley surprised the Brewers with his first sacrifice of the season that advanced Werth to second, and Milwaukee decided to walk Howard intentionally. Burrell followed with a single through the left side that plated Werth to put the Phillies in front, 4-3.

Victorino provided Philadelphia with some insurance when he hit a 1-0 offering from Shouse into the left-center field seats for his 12th homer, a three-run shot that gave Philadelphia a four-run cushion.

PHILADELPHIA 6, MILWAUKEE 1 (2ND GAME)

PHILADELPHIA Brett Myers threw his eighth career complete game and Jimmy Rollins had two RBI as the Philadelphia Phillies completed a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 6-1 victory in the nightcap of Sundays doubleheader.

Pat Burrell hit a solo home run for the Phillies (83-67), who pulled even with the Brewers (83-67) for the National League wild card. Philadelphia also cut the deficit in the NL East to one game behind the New York Mets (83-65).

Philadelphia scored one in the first and Rollins hit a two-run single to key a three-run second inning as the Phillies had a 4-0 bulge after two innings.

That was more than enough run support for Myers (10-11), who gave up just one run and two hits with one walk and four strikeouts during his 95-pitch outing.

COLORADO 1, LOS ANGELES 0 (10 INNINGS)

DENVER Troy Tulowitzki singled in the game-winning run with a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Matt Holliday singled off Hong-Chih Kuo (5-3) to lead off the 10th and moved to second on Garrett Atkins one-out single. Ryan Spilborghs singled to load the bases before Tulowitzki laced a single to right for the walk-off win.

Aaron Cook tossed eight scoreless innings and Brian Fuentes and Manny Corpas (3-3) pitched an inning apiece to keep the Dodgers off the board.

Greg Maddux allowed two hits in seventh scoreless frames for Los Angeles.

FLORIDA 8, WASHINGTON 7

MIAMI Pinch hitter Josh Willingham singled home the go-ahead run, leading the Florida Marlins to their fifth straight win, an 8-7 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Hitting for Andrew Miller in the bottom of the eighth inning, Willingham singled to left field, scoring Jeremy Hermida to put the Marlins ahead 7-6. Florida tacked on an insurance run later in the inning on a fielding error by third baseman Kory Casto en route to sweeping the three-game series.

Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla and Alfredo Amezaga each drove in a pair for the Marlins.

Miller (6-9) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out a pair to earn the victory.

PITTSBURGH 7, ST. LOUIS 2

PITTSBURGH Adam LaRoche drove in three runs and Brandon Moss had two RBI as the Pittsburgh Pirates posted a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nate McLouth added a late homer for the Pirates, who swept the three-game series.

LaRoche and Moss delivered run-scoring hits in both the first two innings as Pittsburgh took a 6-0 lead.

Brad Thompson (5-3) allowed six runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. The righthander walked one without a strikeout for St. Louis, which has lost five straight.

CINCINNATI 2, ARIZONA 1 (10 innings)

PHOENIX Corey Patterson blasted a home run in the 10th inning to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-1.

The Reds had only two hits over the first nine innings, but Pattersons ninth homer of the season off the foul pole in right field against Jon Rauch (4-8) handed the Diamondbacks another devastating loss.

Jay Bruce added his 18th homer – a solo shot – in the fourth inning. David Weathers (4-6) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win and Francisco Cordero recorded his 31st save.

Arizona (72-76), which remained 4 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (77-72) in the National League West Division, scored its only run on Justin Uptons homer in the fifth.

SAN FRANCISCO 8, SAN DIEGO 6 (10 INNINGS)

SAN DIEGO Pablo Sandoval doubled to lead off the 10th inning and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch as the San Francisco Giants edged the San Diego Padres, 8-6.

After their four-run sixth inning tied the game, the Giants manufactured a dramatic victory in the 10th. Travis Ishikawa followed Sandovals double with a single. Following Aaron Rowands walk to load the bases, Sandoval scored on Dirk Hayhursts wild pitch.

Hayhurst (0-2) was charged with both runs and did not register an out. Sergio Romo (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Giants to pick up the victory, while Brian Wilson worked the ninth to pick up his 39th save of the season.

Omar Vizquel drove in two runs and Ishikawa had three hits for the Giants, who swept the three-game series with the Padres.

Posted on September 15th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: MLB Baseball News