Rockies earn another extra-inning win over Dodgers

DENVER (AP) - Troy Tulowitzki singled off James McDonald with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Colorado a 5-4 win over Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night.

Matt Herges (1-0) picked up with win with a perfect 10th as the Rockies, who trailed the Dodgers by 15 1/2 games on June, 3 sliced their deficit in the NL West to two games.

Colorado (72-54), the NL wild-card leader, moved 18 games over .500 for the first time in their history.

McDonald (3-3) walked Ian Stewart leading off the 10th. After a bunt single and an error, Omar Quintanilla struck out and Todd Helton was intentionally walked to load the bases. Tulowitzki lined the first pitch into center, giving Colorado its second straight extra-inning win.

With NL saves co-leader Huston Street unavailable, the Rockies sent Rafael Betancourt to the mound in the ninth to preserve a 4-2 lead. But he allowed a sacrifice fly to Matt Kemp before Manny Ramirez sliced a two-out, 0-2 pitch from rookie Matt Daley to right to tie it at 4.

Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes homered for the Rockies.

Cardinals 1, Astros 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Adam Wainwright allowed three hits over eight innings to become the National League's first 15-game winner and Albert Pujols' rare hit off Wandy Rodriguez drove in St. Louis' lone run.

Brendan Ryan scored from first on Pujols' one-out double down the third-base line in the first inning. The Cardinals (73-54) have gone 14-3 since Aug. 7 and are a season-best 19 games above .500.

Wainwright (15-7) matched the Yankees' CC Sabathia for the major league victory lead, and regained the team lead over Chris Carpenter (14-3). He retired 17 straight after Michael Bourn doubled to lead off the game, striking out five and walking none. Ryan Franklin finished for his 33rd save.

Before Tuesday, Pujols was 3 for 25 with no RBIs against Rodriguez, and the .120 average was his worst against a left-hander with a minimum of 15 at-bats. Rodriguez' success against Pujols was, in turn, his best against any batter he had faced at least 20 times.

Rodriguez (12-8) allowed a run and three hits in seven innings. He has allowed one run or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts, going 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA in that span.

Pirates 6, Phillies 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Andrew McCutchen hitting a game-ending two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge.

The Pirates tied it against Lidge (0-6) on singles by Luis Cruz and pinch-hitter Brandon Moss, and right fielder Jayson Werth's error for misplaying Moss' hit. McCutchen followed with his eighth homer.

The Phillies lost for only the second time in nine games despite two homers by Jimmy Rollins on the first two pitches he saw from Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf. Steve Pearce hit a two-run shot and Ryan Doumit added a solo drive for the Pirates against Joe Blanton.

Lidge allowed hits to all three batters he faced to blow his ninth save in 33 attempts, the most such failures in the majors. Matt Capps (3-7) won it for the Pirates despite being roughed up in the ninth for the second time in as many games against the Phillies, giving up two runs.

The Pirates won their sixth in seven games since losing 12 of 13.

The Phillies had won 11 of 13, plus five straight against the Pirates dating to last season. The Phillies also had won eight of 10 on the road.

Marlins 2, Mets 1

MIAMI (AP) - Sean West pitched six impressive innings, lifting Florida over an injury-battered New York team shaken by the loss of ace Johan Santana for the season.

West (5-5) gave up six hits and three walks to outpitch Santana's replacement Nelson Figueroa (1-3).

Ross Gload hit an RBI single in the fifth, and Leo Nunez recorded his 13th save in 17 chances for Florida.

The only bright spot on a day of bad news for the Mets was Jeff Francoeur, who had two doubles after tearing a ligament in his left thumb over the weekend.

Santana will undergo season-ending surgery for bone chips in his left elbow, and reliever J.J. Putz was also shut down for the season with a slight tear in his right forearm.

Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner, is only the latest blow to a Mets team that's been shattered by injuries. New York has 12 players on the disabled list in a season that now seems lost.

Padres 2, Braves 1, 12 innings

ATLANTA (AP) - David Eckstein's 12th-inning double drove in Nick Hundley and San Diego recovered after blowing a ninth-inning lead.

Hundley led off the 12th with a double off Kris Medlen (3-4). After Tony Gwynn Jr. struck out, pinch-hitter Luis Rodriguez walked. Everth Cabrera, who was 0 for 6, struck out for the third time before Eckstein delivered the go-ahead double to drive in Hundley from second.

Joe Thatcher (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings for the win and Edward Mujica earned his second save by retiring the Braves in order in the 12th.

Adrian Gonzalez's third-inning homer, his 34th, gave San Diego a 1-0 lead that held until the ninth.

Mat Latos and Luke Gregerson shut out Atlanta through eight innings, but Heath Bell couldn't hold a 1-0 lead in the ninth. It was Bell's third blown save in 33 chances.

Nationals 15, Cubs 6

CHICAGO (AP) - Elijah Dukes hit a grand slam in a six-run fifth inning, Josh Willingham had two homers and six RBIs and Washington rocked Carlos Zambrano in his return from the disabled list.

Dukes drove in a career-high five runs as the Nationals sent the Cubs to their 13th loss in 18 games.

Willingham was 4 for 4 with a solo homer in the fourth off Zambrano and a three-run shot off Tom Gorzelanny in the eighth, powering Washington's highest scoring game of the season.

Zambrano (7-5), bothered by a bad back, hadn't pitched since going three innings Aug. 1. Activated off the disabled list before the game, he lasted only 4 1-3 innings, gave up seven hits and was charged with eight runs. Dukes' grand slam came off reliever Aaron Heilman and made it 9-1.

Garrett Mock (3-5) allowed seven hits and four runs in 5 2-3 innings, leaving after a two-run double to Geovany Soto in the sixth. Milton Bradley homered for Chicago in the seventh and Jeff Baker connected in the ninth.

Reds 8, Brewers 6, 13 innings

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Joey Votto and Laynce Nix hit solo home runs in the top of the 13th inning for Cincinnati, which blew a five-run lead in the ninth.

Votto led off against Todd Coffey (4-3) with his 19th home run and Nix hit his second of the game and 12th of the year, with two outs.

Daniel Ray Herrera (2-4) pitched the final two innings for the win.

Milwaukee scored five runs with one out in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6, giving Cincinnati closer Francisco Cordero his second blown save in 28 chances.

Left fielder Darnell McDonald, recalled by the Reds from Triple-A Louisville earlier Tuesday, threw out Ryan Braun at the plate to end the ninth inning.

Casey McGehee's single with one in the ninth tied the score at 6. Mike Cameron flied out, but McDonald threw out Braun, who was tagging up, at the plate by a couple of steps for a double play.

Scott Rolen had four hits and an RBI for Cincinnati.