NL roundup: Furcal's pinch hit leads to Dodger win

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rafael Furcal had a pinch hit RBI single in the eighth inning Wednesday, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 1-0 in the final game of Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.

The Dodgers were 29-21 during Ramirez's absence. The 12-time All-Star, who needs three home runs to tie Mickey Mantle for 15th place on the career list at 536, will return to the lineup Friday night for the start of a three-game series at San Diego.

Brad Ausmus led off the eighth with a single against Rockies starter Jason Hammel (5-4) and advanced on Juan Castro's sacrifice. Russell Martin ran for Ausmus and scored when Furcal stroked a single to right field on the right-hander's 100th pitch while batting for reliever Ramon Troncoso (2-0).

Troncoso pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win and Jonathan Broxton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save in 20 attempts.

Mets 1, Brewers 0

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Mike Pelfrey bailed the Mets out of a season-worst losing streak, overcoming a career-high 12 strikeouts by young Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo in a 1-0 victory Wednesday.

Pelfrey (6-3) gave up six hits and two walks in 7 2-3 innings, and Ryan Church came through with an RBI single in the sixth as the Mets stopped a five-game losing streak and avoided a series sweep by the Brewers.

Gallardo (8-5) gave up five hits in seven innings. The Brewers completed a 5-4 homestand and will travel to Chicago for a four-game series against the Cubs beginning Thursday.

Reds 1, Diamondbacks 0

CINCINNATI (AP) - Right-hander Johnny Cueto settled in after two wild innings, and Joey Votto singled home a run in the sixth inning for Cincinnati.

Arizona, which has lost nine of 11, managed only an infield hit during six innings against Cueto (8-4) and a bunt single off the bullpen.

Jon Garland (4-8) pitched six solid innings but couldn't break the longest losing streak of his career. The right-hander hasn't won since May 19, going 0-6 with two no-decisions. Arizona has scored three or fewer runs in five of those games.

Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 20 chances, completing Cincinnati's seventh shutout of the season.

Cincinnati scored in the sixth when Chris Dickerson hit a soft liner to center for a single, advanced on a groundout and came around on Votto's single to center.

Cardinals 2, Giants 1, 10 innings

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Colby Rasmus hit a leadoff homer in the 10th inning after San Francisco rookie third baseman Pablo Sandoval dropped his foul pop fly earlier in the at-bat to give St. Louis the victory.

Sandoval circled the rookie's foul ball on a 2-2 count against Bob Howry (0-4), arriving late and missing with what appeared to be a casual stab with his glove. Three pitches later, Rasmus homered to straightaway center for his first game-ending hit.

Albert Pujols, who was in the on-deck circle when Rasmus connected, was 2 for 2 after drawing intentional walks with a man on second his first two at-bats. His 26 intentional walks are more than double any other player.

Adam Wainwright had a career-best 12 strikeouts in nine innings for St. Louis, allowing a run and six hits. Ryan Franklin (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the win.

Rasmus leads NL rookies with eight homers and 29 RBIs.

Braves 11, Phillies 1

ATLANTA (AP) - Jair Jurrjens allowed his first hit with two outs in the seventh inning and Atlanta finally gave him some run support.

Jurrjens (6-6) began the night with the seventh-lowest run support in the majors, including five runs in his last four losses. The Braves scored seven runs off Cole Hamels (4-5), who left the game after giving up three hits and a walk in the fifth.

Matt Diaz had a two-run homer and Diory Hernandez hit his first major league home run, both off Tyler Walker in the six-run fifth inning. Diaz had three hits.

Jurrjens' bid to become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Phillies since the Cardinals' Bob Forsch in 1978, ended with Paul Bako's single with two outs in the seventh.

Jurrjens gave up one hit and four walks and one unearned run in seven innings. He struck out six while combining with relievers Kris Medlen and Manny Acosta on a two-hitter.

The Braves have won three straight. Philadelphia has lost 11 of 14.

Cubs 4, Pirates 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome homered to support Randy Wells' seven effective innings and Chicago won another series from Pittsburgh.

Wells (3-3) limited the Pirates to one run and six hits in his third consecutive victory. The Cubs took two of three in Pittsburgh and has won eight of its last nine series against the Pirates dating to the teams' final matchup in 2007, sweeping them four times. The Cubs have won nine of their last 12 in PNC Park.

Wells has won his last three starts - for his first three career victories - by allowing five runs over 20 2-3 innings, a 2.18 ERA.

Lee hit a two-run homer three batters into the game. Fukudome made it 3-1 in the sixth. Geovany Soto had two more hits to go 5 of 10 in the series.

Carlos Marmol followed Wells with a scoreless eighth and Kevin Gregg finished up for his 14th save in 17 opportunities, with neither reliever permitting a hit.

Virgil Vasquez (1-1) gave up six hits and three runs in six innings.

Astros 7, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Brian Moehler pitched six strong innings and Houston scored six runs in the fourth inning.

Moehler and two relievers held San Diego to five hits. San Diego has lost 11 of its last 16 home games, and seven of eight against the Astros dating to last season.

Moehler (5-4) struck out eight and held San Diego to four hits in winning his third straight decision. He gave up Eliezer Alfonzo's homer with two outs in the second.

Walter Silva (0-2) allowed three runs on five singles and a walk in the fourth before three more scored on third baseman Chase Headley's throwing error on Moehler's grounder with two outs.

Silva lasted only four innings, allowing five hits and six runs, three earned.

Marlins 5, Nationals 3

MIAMI (AP) - Hanley Ramirez extended his RBI streak to 10 games, pinch-hitter Wes Helms beat out a potential double-play ball to put Florida ahead in the eighth inning and the Marlins remained unbeaten against Washington.

Cody Ross hit his 14th home run and added an RBI single in the eighth for Florida, which improved to 9-0 against Washington this season. Ramirez hit a two-run double for the Marlins, making him the first shortstop in NL history with an RBI streak of double-digit games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Josh Willingham was 2 for 4 with a two-run single for Washington, which stranded 13 runners.

Dan Meyer (2-0), one of six Florida pitchers, got the win after working two-thirds of an inning. Leo Nunez pitched the ninth, getting his fourth save in seven chances.

Julian Tavarez (3-6) faced two batters in the eighth, and both scored as the Nationals wasted a 3-2 lead.