SAN FRANCISCO - Noah Lowry is pitching nothing like a 23-year-old rookie.
Lowry won his sixth straight decision and remained unbeaten in 13 major-league starts, and Ray Durham hit a two-run double to lead the Giants to a 5-1 victory over the Astros on Wednesday night.
Lowry held Astros to five hits in his second complete game, helping San Francisco win for the ninth time in 10 games behind a balanced offense to remain a half-game ahead of the Cubs in the wild-card race. Houston dropped three games back.
San Francisco moved a half-game back of the Dodgers in the West.
Barry Bonds hit a run-scoring triple off the fence in right-center in the first, and the slugger didn't get any chances after that. He drew four intentional walks for the fourth time this season, which equals his major-league record.
Roy Oswalt, who failed to become the league's first 19-game winner, walked Bonds intentionally in the third and fifth. Mike Gallo did the same in the sixth when San Francisco batted around, and Dan Miceli walked Bonds in the eighth, giving the slugger 213 walks and 111 free passes this season.
PADRES 4, DODGERS 0: Jake Peavy pitched eight shutout innings and Phil Nevin hit a two-run homer to lead host San Diego. Los Angeles, which has lost five of seven, saw its West lead drop to its smallest margin since it led the Giants by a half-game on July 15.
Peavy allowed a leadoff single to Adrian Beltre in the second, then retired 12 of 13. Peavy struck out eight of 10 during one stretch and matched his career high with 11 strikeouts.
CUBS 1, PIRATES 0: Carlos Zambrano pitched 71/3 shutout innings to outduel Oliver Perez and beat host Pittsburgh for the fifth straight time this season.
Sammy Sosa preserved Chicago's sixth shutout with a sprawling, belly-flop catch of Ty Wigginton's bases-loaded, two-out line drive to rightfield in the eighth.
REDS 11, BRAVES 8: Former Devil Ray Javier Valentin hit a three-run homer to cap visiting Cincinnati's five-run comeback in the ninth off closer John Smoltz.
Chipper Jones' three-run homer in the seventh gave Atlanta an 8-6 lead, but Smoltz gave up four hits and five runs, walking a batter and throwing two wild pitches while recording one out in the ninth.
PHILLIES 12, MARLINS 4: Pat Burrell hit a three-run homer and Eric Milton won for the first time in more than a month, leading Philadelphia past fading Florida. Mike Lieberthal, Jason Michaels and Placido Polanco added two-run homers in the Phillies' second win in two nights at Florida after having lost 14 straight at Pro Player Stadium.
CARDINALS 3, BREWERS 2: Larry Walker hit a two-run homer in the fifth as St. Louis won its 32nd in 45 games. The Cardinals, 47-27 on the road, today will try to win 100 for the seventh time in franchise history.
ROCKIES 4, D'BACKS 2: Shawn Estes outpitched Randy Johnson and Jeromy Burnitz hit his 37th homer, lifting host Colorado.
METS 3, EXPOS 2: Mike Piazza hit a two-out, run-scoring single in the eighth as visiting New York ended a three-game skid.
