NL: Carpenter still the top ace

ST. LOUIS - To Chris Carpenter, facing Dontrelle Willis was not a Cy Young preview. It was just another stingy outing.

Carpenter is coming out on top against all the league's aces. He pitched a three-hitter Tuesday night to become the majors' first 16-game winner in a 3-1 victory over Willis and the Florida Marlins.

"He's one of the best pitchers we've seen all year," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "One of the best-pitched games we've seen all year. Give the guy credit."

John Gall drove in the first two runs of his career and Jim Edmonds had a run-scoring single for the Cardinals, who have won five of eight and have the league's best record at 67-39. St. Louis, which has beaten up on the Central with a 32-13 record, improved to 8-9 against the tougher competition in the East.

Carpenter beat Roger Clemens in his first start after pitching a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game, and he bested Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte earlier this season. He won his eighth straight decision in nine starts, and Willis, who hit the first two batters he faced to set the tone for a wild 103-pitch, five-inning outing, couldn't keep up.

Carpenter convinced himself it wasn't a special matchup; he just had to do his job against the Marlins hitters.

"Nothing I can do about what Dontrelle does," Carpenter said. "Dontrelle goes out and competes just like I do. My job is to get the one through nine guys out on their side."

Carpenter allowed only Juan Pierre's leadoff double in the first, Luis Castillo's third-inning single and Jeff Conine's infield single in the ninth, striking out six and walking one. In his past nine starts, Carpenter is 8-0 with an 0.83 ERA, 68 strikeouts and 11 walks in 752/3 innings. His overall ERA improved to 2.26.

PADRES 11, PIRATES 3: Jake Peavy pitched effectively for seven innings and helped San Diego's slumping offense by driving in his first run this season, leading the visiting Padres to their second victory in 14 games.

The Padres, who moved a game ahead of Arizona for the West lead despite winning twice since July 17, took advantage of starter Kip Wells' wildness to open a 5-0 lead in the fourth. Three of the five batters Wells walked in 32/3 innings scored.

Khalil Greene had a two-run single after Wells walked the bases loaded in the second and Peavy, batting .125, followed with a run-scoring double, his second extra-base hit in two seasons. Peavy also singled while going 2-for-3, giving him half as many hits as he had this season.

ASTROS 3, D'BACKS 1: Roger Clemens pitched seven four-hit innings to earn his 338th victory one day before his 43rd birthday, leading visiting Houston.

Adam Everett drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning double and Mike Lamb homered for the Astros, who won for the 14th time in 16 games and extended their lead in the wild-card race to two games over the Nationals.

Chad Tracy hit his 15th homer for Arizona, which lost for the second time in six games.

DODGERS 5, NATIONALS 4: Jeff Kent hit one of four homers that accounted for all Los Angeles' runs. Jason Phillips, Jason Repko and pinch-hitter Hee-Seop Choi also connected, the first time this season a visiting club has hit more than two homers at Washington.

CUBS 2, PHILLIES 1: Carlos Zambrano pitched eight scoreless innings and Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run single in the eighth, leading visiting Chicago. Zambrano allowed four hits and improved to 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA in his past seven starts. The right-hander hasn't lost since he gave up eight runs in 12/3 innings against Milwaukee on June 22.

BRAVES 12, REDS 2: Chipper Jones homered and drove in four and visiting Atlanta ended Cincinnati's season-high five-game winning streak. Catcher Brian McCann also homered and Marcus Giles had three hits and three RBIs as the Braves rolled to their seventh win in their past eight games.

METS 9, BREWERS 8 (11): Mike Piazza drew a bases-loaded walk in the 11th to cap a rally by host New York. The Mets, down 6-2 after two innings, tied it at 8 in the ninth on Mike Cameron's one-out homer off Milwaukee closer Derrick Turnbow.

ROCKIES 4, GIANTS 3: Matt Holliday hit a two-run homer and Jamey Wright pitched six strong innings to end a personal three-game losing streak for visiting Colorado.

[Last modified August 3, 2005, 01:02:02]