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NL: Rockies' rookie silences Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- Rookie Denny Stark outpitched Odalis Perez and the Rockies handed the Dodgers another damaging defeat in their wild-card chase, 1-0 Tuesday night.

The World Series champion Diamondbacks clinched a playoff spot with Los Angeles' loss.

The Dodgers were held to three hits in losing their third in a row and 10th in 17 games.

Los Angeles began the day two games behind San Francisco, which played at home against San Diego, for the wild card. The Dodgers have five games left.

Todd Zeile had a run-scoring single in the first as Colorado won its fourth in a row. The Rockies swept the Diamondbacks in a three-game weekend series.

Stark continued his mastery of the Dodgers, improving to 2-0 in four games against them. He gave up one hit -- a single by Brian Jordan in the first -- in seven innings.

Stark struck out one and walked three. Twice, he retired seven batters in a row and threw 93 pitches before leaving.

Rockies reliever Todd Jones gave up a two-out triple to Marquis Grissom in the eighth, but struck out Paul Lo Duca.

Jose Jimenez pitched the ninth for his 41st save. Eric Karros doubled with two outs before Adrian Beltre struck out to end it.

Todd Zeile, an ex-Dodger, singled with two outs in the first inning to drive in Colorado's run. Gabe Kapler led off with a single and stole second.

CARDINALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2: Visiting Arizona again failed to clinch a postseason spot, falling to St. Louis for its fifth loss in a row.

Edgar Renteria singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning as the Cardinals kept Arizona's magic number for clinching a playoff berth at one.

The West-leading Diamondbacks would be assured a postseason slot if Los Angeles lost later at night to Colorado.

Arizona tied it in the top of the ninth against closer Jason Isringhausen as pinch-runner Mark Little scored from second on pinch-hitter Greg Colbrunn's infield hit up the middle.

Renteria made a diving stab to keep the ball in the infield, but the shortstop had trouble controlling it as Little beat the throw to the plate with a headfirst slide.

Albert Pujols drew a one-out walk from Mike Fetters in the Cardinals' ninth and pinch-runner So Taguchi stole second as Ivan Cruz struck out. Renteria followed with a liner just inside the third-base line.

BREWERS 3, ASTROS 1: Wayne Franklin, traded away by Houston on Sept. 3, beat his former team for the second time in five days.

The Astros, whose stadium has a retractable roof, had their first rain delay at home since the early 1960s.

The start of the game at Minute Maid Park was delayed by 19 minutes because of rain. Team officials elected to use a tarp to cover the infield before deciding to close the roof.

Milwaukee's Jose Hernandez, one strikeout short of tying Bobby Bonds' major-league record of 189, was 3-for-4 with a fielder's choice grounder.

MARLINS 9, EXPOS 6: Juan Encarnacion and Mike Lowell each homered twice and combined to drive in all of visiting Florida's runs.

Encarnacion, who tied a career high with five RBIs, hit a three-run homer off Britt Reames in the third. He singled in the fifth, tripled in the seventh and hit a two-run homer off Scott Stewart in the ninth.

Lowell hit a homer in the second to reach 20 for the second time in three seasons and added a three-run drive in the seventh off Dan Smith.

Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero, who has 40 stolen bases, hit his 39th homer in the fifth off Carl Pavano, leaving him one homer shy of joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez as the only major leaguers with 40 homers and 40 steals in the same season.

PHILLIES 5, BRAVES 3: Travis Lee and Pat Burrell each had two RBIs for host Philadelphia and Eric Junge pitched 42/3 innings after starter Vincente Padilla was injured.

The Phillies have won four in a row to move one game better than .500 with five to play. Philadelphia is trying for consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1982-83.

The East champion Braves, who have lost three of four, failed to gain on Arizona in the race for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

Tom Glavine walked a season-high six and hit a batter, giving up five runs and seven hits in 52/3 innings.

Junge relieved with a runner on second base and one out in the first, with the Phillies trailing 1-0. Padilla left after one out because of tightness in his right shoulder.

REDS 1, CUBS 0: Jimmy Haynes pitched six strong innings for visiting Cincinnati and helped keep Sammy Sosa stuck on 498 career homers.

Haynes allowed three hits. Aaron Boone homered in the first inning off Kerry Wood, who entered the game 7-1 lifetime against the Reds.

Sosa, bidding to become the 18th major leaguer with 500 homers, went 0-for-4 and struck out three times.

PIRATES 6, METS 3: Pinch-hitter Adrian Brown had a two-run single as host Pittsburgh rallied for four runs in the eighth inning.

The Mets dropped their 82nd game, assuring them of their first losing season since 1996. It is manager Bobby Valentine's first losing record in a full season since 1988 in Texas.

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