Sports | Rays

Rays/MLB

NL roundup

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 16, 2006

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CARDINALS 9, REDS 3: ST. LOUIS - Sidney Ponson won his home debut with St. Louis, backed by home runs by Albert Pujols, Hector Luna and Scott Spiezio.

Luna tied his career high with three RBIs for the Cardinals, who are 3-2 at new Busch Stadium. They pounded Dave Williams for six runs and six hits in the first three innings after scoring just three runs in two games.

Luna had a run-scoring single in the first for his first RBI of the season, a home run in the third and an RBI single in the seventh. Spiezio hit a pinch-hit two-run homer off Mike Burns in the seventh.

Ponson (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits in 61/3 innings, settling down after surrendering Adam Dunn's sixth homer on a full count in the first.

He struck out four and walked one, leaving to a big ovation from a fifth straight sellout crowd of 40,752.

Ponson, a 17-game winner in 2003, is trying to rebuild his career after being released by the Orioles last September due to alcohol-related problems.

NOTABLE: Prior to the game, NL Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter and Pujols, the NL MVP, were presented with rings in honor of their achievements.

PIRATES 2, CUBS 1: PITTSBURGH - Zach Duke bounced back from the worst start of his short major league career to limit Chicago to a run over seven innings.

Craig Wilson, now the Pirates' everyday first baseman with Sean Casey out for up to two months with a back injury, tripled and scored both runs against Cubs starter Jerome Williams (0-1).

The Pirates ended an eight-game home losing streak to Chicago that dated to April 15, 2005, and the Cubs had won 12 of 13 overall from Pittsburgh since then.

Duke's excellent outing helped the Pirates avoid their first 3-10 start since the lockout-shortened 1995 season, when they won only 58 of 144 games.

Mike Gonzalez pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

NOTABLE: The Pirates' Jason Bay went 0-for-0 despite batting four times. He walked three times and was hit by a pitch.

BREWERS 8, METS 2: NEW YORK - Tomo Ohka shut down New York's offense and slapped a go-ahead double, leading Milwaukee to a victory Saturday that stopped the Mets' winning streak at seven.

Pitching against a team that began the day with an NL-high .310 batting average, Ohka (1-1) allowed two runs - one earned - and five hits in seven innings. He had been 0-5 in seven appearances at Shea Stadium.

New York was trying for the first 9-1 start in franchise history and for its first eight-game winning streak since taking nine in a row from April 16-25, 2000. But Steve Trachsel (1-1) struggled with his command, allowing four runs and nine hits in five innings, and all three Mets outfielders had trouble picking up balls that dropped for hits.

Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins homered for Milwaukee, which began the day tied with Kansas City with a major league-low 37 runs. The Brewers had not scored five or more runs since April 8.

NOTABLE: Milwaukee planned to activate RHP Ben Sheets to start today in his season debut.

NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1: MIAMI - John Patterson allowed three hits in eight innings and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts, helping Washington break a six-game losing streak.

Washington's Royce Clayton doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. The Nationals, who had been off to the franchise's worst start since 1970, improved to 3-9.

Patterson (1-0) retired the first 13 batters, eight on strikeouts, before Josh Willingham doubled off the scoreboard. Chris Aguila followed with a double to give the Marlins a brief 1-0 lead.

Florida's only other hit was a two-out single in the eighth by pinch-hitter Wes Helms, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

Washington scored two runs in the sixth, taking advantage of rookie Scott Olsen's wildness. He walked three in the inning and made a wild throw to first, allowing the tying run to score.

Patterson left for a pinch-hitter after throwing 108 pitches. He walked only one, and that was intentional.

Chad Cordero pitched a hitless ninth for the Nationals' first save. Second baseman Brendan Harris made a leaping grab with runners on first and second to end the game.

NOTABLE: The new jumbo scoreboard had some early glitches - Patterson's first pitch registered at 43 mph, and then next two clocked in at 49.

BRAVES 2, PADRES 0: ATLANTA - John Smoltz gave Atlanta's starting staff its first win of the year with his 16th career shutout, beating San Diego and Jake Peavy.

Peavy (1-2) gave up only four hits and two runs in seven innings as the Braves were held under four runs for the first time this year. He struck out eight batters and issued two walks, one intentional.

Smoltz (1-1) was better, giving up only four hits and two walks. He recorded his first shutout since June 21, a 5-0 win over Florida. He pitched his 51st complete game, his first since June 26, against Baltimore.

Smoltz had the help of some strong defensive plays.

Andruw Jones made a diving catch while running toward the infield to catch a sinking liner hit by Vinny Castilla in the fifth inning. He later made a running catch of a long drive off Peavy's bat.

The Braves gave Smoltz an early 1-0 lead in the second inning with Adam LaRoche's third home run. He hit a 3-1 pitch over the left-field wall for the opposite-field homer.

NOTABLE: It is the first time in franchise history the Braves have played their first 11 games without a win from a starting pitcher. Atlanta's Edgar Renteria appeared to grimace in pain while swinging in the bottom of the sixth inning. He suffered a strained rib cage and is day to day.

ROCKIES 10, PHILLIES 6: DENVER - Matt Holliday homered and drove in five runs to lift Colorado over Philadelphia .

Holliday's bases-loaded triple broke the game open in a five-run seventh inning. He had three hits, including an RBI double in the first to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He also hit a solo homer.

Colorado had at least nine hits (14) for the eighth straight game to end a three-game home losing streak.

Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell each hit two-run homers for Philadelphia, which couldn't overcome another shaky start by Jon Lieber (0-3) to see its three-game winning streak end.

Abreu, who had four RBIs, ended a 3-for-16 slump against Jason Jennings (2-0) in the first with his third homer.

NOTABLE: The game featured seven unassisted putouts at first base, four by the Phillies.

ASTROS 10, D'BACKS 0: PHOENIX (AP) - Adam Everett drove in three runs with a homer and a double, and Wandy Rodriguez allowed two hits through seven innings in the Houston Astros' 10-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Morgan Ensberg was 3-for-4 with a homer and an RBI double. Willy Taveras was 3-for-4 with a walk and scored twice, and Jason Lane homered and singled in the Astros' 15 hit attack.

Rodriguez (2-0) struck out six and walked one. Chad Qualls and Mike Gallo completed the two-hitter, Houston's second shutout in three games.

Ensberg and Everett had leadoff homers, in the second and third innings respectively, off the Diamondbacks' Claudio Vargas (1-1).

NOTABLE: Arizona center fielder Eric Byrnes robbed Everett of an extra-base hit, and saved at least one run, with a diving catch to his right to end the fifth.

DODGERS 3, GIANTS 1: LOS ANGELES (AP) - Odalis Perez pitched seven strong innings and held Barry Bonds in check, Kenny Lofton hit an RBI triple for his first hit with Los Angeles, and the Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 Saturday night.

Perez (2-0) allowed only three hits - none after the third inning - before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Perez walked three, struck out two and threw 94 pitches.

Takashi Saito pitched a scoreless eighth, and former Devil Ray Danys Baez worked the ninth for his third save in as many chances.

NOTABLE: Bonds went 1-for-3 and drew an intentional walk, making him 4-for-21 with 10 walks - four intentional. He remains without a home run this season, having played in eight of the Giants' 10 games, and stuck at 708 for third place on baseball's all-time list. Henry Aaron is the leader at 755, followed by Babe Ruth at 714.

[Last modified April 16, 2006, 01:06:03]

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