NL roundup: Giants' offense struggles again

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Charlie Morton allowed three hits over seven innings, and the San Francisco offense again struggled in rainy Pittsburgh during the Pirates' 2-0 victory over the Giants on Saturday night.

Morton (2-2) struck out six while pitching his second scoreless outing in his past three starts. He only allowed one runner to advance past first base.

John Grabow pitched a perfect eighth and Matt Capps worked out of a two-on, none out jam in the ninth to earn his 20th save.

Barry Zito (5-10) nearly matched Morton but was the hard-luck loser, allowing two runs on six hits without a walk. He struck out four in 6 1-3 innings.

Mets 5, Braves 1

ATLANTA (AP) - Johan Santana threw seven scoreless innings to take some pressure off New York's struggling offense and the Mets beat the Braves.

Santana (11-7) has now thrown 15 straight scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 2.92, its first time under 3 since he allowed nine runs at Yankee Stadium on June 14.

Chipper Jones hit his 10th homer in the eighth off Pedro Feliciano. The Braves loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth before Brian Stokes, the Mets' fourth reliever of the inning, struck out pinch-hitter Greg Norton.

Kenshin Kawakami (5-7) gave up five hits and two runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Diamondbacks 4, Cardinals 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Dan Haren allowed one run over eight innings and Miguel Montero homered and had four hits for Arizona.

Haren (10-5) allowed his former team just four hits while striking out eight, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 1.96. After giving up an RBI single to Albert Pujols with one out in the third, Haren retired the next 15 batters in a row.

Haren also helped himself at the plate, driving in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainright (10-6) was nearly as tough as Haren, allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings. He struck out eight.

Brewers 5, Reds 1

CINCINNATI (AP) - Craig Counsell's solo homer started a four-run rally against Aaron Harang, and the Brewers' bullpen emerged from its struggles with three scoreless innings, protecting a victory over the Reds.

Counsell led off the fourth inning with a homer, the first hit off Harang (5-10). The right-hander had a fielding error that prolonged the four-run inning and extended one of the worst stretches of his career.

Harang hasn't won since May 25, going 0-6 in his last 10 starts.

Left-hander Manny Parra (4-8) repeatedly pitched out of scoring threats during his six innings, needing 125 pitches to get that far.

Dodgers 5, Astros 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clayton Kershaw allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings to win his fifth straight decision and the Dodgers celebrated manager Joe Torre's 69th birthday with a victory over the Astros.

Kershaw (8-5) struck out five and lowered his ERA to 2.95. The 21-year-old left-hander is 5-0 with a minuscule 0.63 ERA over his last seven starts, and has not allowed a run in five of those outings. This was only the second time he lasted seven innings during that stretch.

Jonathan Broxton, who has been hampered by a sore big right toe and has had two cortisone shots for it, got three outs for his 21st save in 23 attempts. Cubs 6, Nationals 5

WASHINGTON (AP) - Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth, connecting for the first time in almost six weeks, and the Cubs held on for a victory over the Nationals.

Soriano sent a first-pitch slider from rookie left-hander Jordan Zimmermann over the wall in right-center, erasing a 4-2 Washington lead. It was the 15th homer - and first since June 7, a span of 121 at-bats - for Soriano, who missed Friday night's game with a swollen right pinkie finger.

Fill-in starter Randy Wells (5-4) worked five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out one. Wells started in place of Ted Lilly, who was scratched with sore left knee. Padres 3, Rockies 1

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Chase Headley had a pinch-hit homer in the seventh, lifting the concerned Padres to a win over the Rockies an inning after Edgar Gonzalez was hit in the head with a pitch and carted off the field.

Gonzalez left the game after he was beaned by a fastball from Jason Hammel in the sixth inning. Gonzalez was hit near the left ear hole on his batting helmet and immediately fell to the ground clutching his head. After several minutes, he was helped to a cart and driven off the field.

Edgar's brother, All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, was pulled from the game when the inning ended to go to the hospital where Edgar was being treated.