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Cubs win slugfest with Astros

HOUSTON -- Corey Patterson tied a career high with four hits and drove in three runs as the Chicago Cubs had a season-high 24 hits in a 14-12 victory over the Astros on Tuesday night.

Every Cubs position player had at least two hits except Bill Mueller, who had one. Fred McGriff, Alex Gonzalez and Roosevelt Brown each drove in two runs.

Lance Berkman had five RBIs and Jose Vizcaino had four hits and three RBIs for the Astros, who remained 41/2 games behind St. Louis in the Central.

The teams combined for 40 hits, an Astros record. Houston combined for 39 hits in a game three times, the last July 28, 1999, at Colorado.

Will Cunnane got one out for the win. Antonio Alfonseca gave up a run in the ninth but finished for his 15th save in 21 chances.

Neither starting pitcher made it through the third.

The Cubs scored four and had eight hits in 2-2/3 innings off rookie Kirk Saarloos.

Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano also went 2-2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and five walks. Zambrano, who hasn't won since July 15, struck out one.

The Cubs scored three on six singles in the third to chase Saarloos. McGriff had a run-scoring single, and another run scored when Moises Alou hit into a double play. Gonzalez made it 4-1 with another single.

Brandon Puffer relieved Saarloos and lasted one inning, giving up six runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out one.

The Astros sent 11 batters to the plate in the third as they scored six. Berkman hit his 33rd home run, a two-run shot. Geoff Blum and Brad Ausmus followed with run-scoring singles and Vizcaino hit a two-run single as Houston took a 7-4 lead to chase Zambrano.

Chicago came back with six runs in the fourth. McGriff, Patterson and Gonzalez had run-scoring singles to tie it at 7. Pinch-hitter Brown then hit a two-run double and Mark Bellhorn had a run-scoring single to give the Cubs a 10-7 lead.

PIRATES 8, CARDINALS 0: Kris Benson allowed one hit in seven innings and visiting Pittsburgh, which had lost six straight to St. Louis, homered a season-high five times.

Brian Giles, Craig Wilson, Adam Hyzdu, Aramis Ramirez and Rob Mackowiak homered and Jason Kendall had a three-run double for the Pirates, who have won four of 14.

D'BACKS 5, REDS 3: The Arizona bullpen cost Randy Johnson his 19th victory, but the host Diamondbacks regrouped to score twice without a hit in the eighth.

Matt Williams drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off reliever Danny Graves, and another run scored on David Dellucci's groundout.

MARLINS 6, DODGERS 3: Juan Encarnacion homered and drove in three runs to back seven strong innings from Brad Penny for visiting Florida.

Kevin Brown struggled in three innings of relief for Los Angeles, which saw its lead on San Francisco in the wild-card race cut to 21/2 games.

GIANTS 1, METS 0: Jason Schmidt struck out his first six batters and finished a five-hitter by fanning Mike Piazza with a runner on third for host San Francisco.

In one of his most impressive performances since joining the Giants late last season, Schmidt tied a career high with 13 strikeouts and didn't allow a runner to reach second until the eighth.

PADRES 6, BRAVES 2: Brett Tomko pitched a seven-hitter and Ron Gant had his first two-homer game in more than two seasons for host San Diego.

The Padres, who have the second-worst record in the league, need to beat the Braves, who have baseball's best record at 80-44, the next two games to win the season series for the first time since 1990.

ROCKIES 8, EXPOS 6: Denny Neagle had his fourth straight solid outing since rejoining the rotation, and Jay Payton hit a three-run homer to lead host Colorado.

BREWERS 2, PHILLIES 1: Jamey Wright pitched into the seventh inning to beat Philadelphia for the first time in more than five years, leading host Milwaukee.

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