NL: Cubs ace hurts shoulder again in loss to Astros

HOUSTON - Cubs ace Kerry Wood left early with shoulder pain again, and Jeff Bagwell had three hits to help the Astros end their longest losing streak in nearly three years with a 7-5 victory Saturday.

Wood departed after only three innings because of tendinitis in his right shoulder, the same problem that caused him to leave his previous start April24. He will be examined Monday in Chicago.

"It's same thing I've been trying to battle through the last three weeks or so," Wood said. "I thought I was close to turning the corner, and I felt great warming up and felt great the first two innings. The third inning, it kind of crept back up."

Wood missed a couple of weeks of spring training because of bursitis in the right shoulder, and trainer Mark O'Neal said this is just a continuation of that problem.

"It's not getting worse, but it's not getting better," O'Neal said.

Wood was pulled for a pinch-hitter after giving up three runs and four hits. He struck out six and walked two.

Brandon Backe pitched seven innings for the win and Brad Ausmus hit a two-run single for the Astros. Backe gave up four runs and six hits. He struck out eight and walked two.

Houston's six-game losing streak was its longest since May19-25, 2002.

Willy Taveras gave Houston a 4-3 lead in the fourth when he doubled in Ausmus. Houston increased its lead to 7-3 in the seventh when Bagwell walked and moved to third on a double by Mike Lamb. After an intentional walk to Vizcaino, Bagwell scored on Jason Lane's groundout. Ausmus drove in Lamb and Vizcaino with a bases-loaded single.

NATIONALS 5, METS 3 (8): Tomo Ohka allowed two hits in six shutout innings for host Washington in a game ended early because of rain. Showers fell steadily starting in the fifth. There was a 30-minute delay during the sixth, and the infield was filled with puddles by the eighth.

It was during that inning that Nationals manager Frank Robinson was ejected after a lengthy discussion, during which he repeatedly pointed to the tiny lakes on the left side of the infield.

During the second and final rain delay of 37 minutes, the grounds crew had trouble getting the tarp across the infield, repeatedly getting stuck near third base. With more than 30 people tugging, it took several stops and starts and about 30 minutes to cover all of the dirt.

Vinny Castilla hit a two-run double in the first. Nick Johnson walked with the bases loaded in the fourth to make it 3-0.

BRAVES 3, CARDINALS 2: Raul Mondesi homered leading off the ninth for host Atlanta.

Mondesi, batting just .200 in his first season with the Braves, connected on the second pitch from James Journell. It was the fifth game-ending homer of Mondesi's career and first since Aug.2, 2003, with Arizona.

The Braves tied the score at 2 in the seventh after Al Reyes took over for starter Matt Morris, who pitched six strong innings. Johnny Estrada and Andruw Jones had consecutive singles, and Mondesi walked to load the bases with none out.

When manager Tony La Russa went to the mound to make a pitching change, Reyes was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Dale Scott.

Randy Flores then walked pinch-hitter Chipper Jones to tie it, during which La Russa was ejected. But the Braves couldn't take the lead. Rafael Furcal flied out to short right. Pinch-hitter Julio Franco struck out, and Marcus Giles grounded out.

GIANTS 7, PIRATES 6: Deivi Cruz hit a two-run homer in the first and an error keyed a three-run sixth for visiting San Francisco, which won its season-high fourth in a row. Pittsburgh has scored a major league-low 64 runs but lost despite scoring more than four for the first time in 12 games.

After Jason Ellison led off the game with a strikeout, Omar Vizquel doubled off Dave Williams. Cruz followed by homering on a 1-and-0 pitch.

Down 4-3, Cruz and Moises Alou led off the sixth with singles. Reliever Rick White entered and allowed a single to Pedro Feliz to tie it. The ball rolled under centerfield's Jason Bay glove, allowing Alou to score the go-ahead run. It was the Pirates' first error in 71 innings.

PADRES 2, D'BACKS 0: Sean Burroughs hit a rare home run and Brian Lawrence rebounded nicely from the shortest start of his career to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. There were just six hits, four by the Padres. Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth to earn his 397th career save.

San Diego snapped an eight-game losing streak to Shawn Estes (2-2), who lost despite holding the Padres to one run and two hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked one. Lawrence (2-3) held the Diamondbacks to just two hits in eight innings.

[Last modified May 1, 2005, 00:18:01]