NL roundup: Votto hits game-winning homer for Reds

CINCINNATI (AP) " Joey Votto hit a two-run homer in the seventh " an inning after right-hander Roy Oswalt failed to hold a lead against the team he's beaten like no other " and the Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 6-4 victory Tuesday night that sent the Houston Astros to their sixth straight loss.

Votto's homer off Tim Byrdak (0-1) snapped a 4-all tie and sent the Reds to their third straight win, which matches their season high.

Nick Masset (2-0), who was activated off the disabled list before the game, got the victory with one inning in relief. Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 13th save in as many chances.

The last-place Astros extended their longest losing streak of the season after one of their dependables failed them again.

Diamondbacks 6, Padres 5

PHOENIX (AP) " Max Scherzer struck out 10 and drove in two runs, Chris Young made a leaping catch at the fence for the final out and the Diamondbacks held off San Diego to snap the Padres' 10-game winning streak.

The Diamondbacks nearly blew a six-run lead for the second straight day. On Monday, they let the Padres rally from a 7-1 deficit in the eighth for a 9-7 victory in 10 innings.

On Tuesday night, the Padres scored four in the eighth to pull to 6-4.

San Diego loaded the bases against Juan Gutierrez with no outs in the ninth. Scott Hairston grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, cutting Arizona's lead to 6-5, and then Young ended the game with a terrific grab on a drive to center by Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Mets 6, Nationals 1

NEW YORK (AP) " Livan Hernandez shut down Ryan Zimmerman and the Nationals, pitching the New York Mets' first complete game of the season in a win over Washington.

Hernandez (4-1) worked around nine hits in going the distance for the 46th time in his career, most recently in May 2008 with Minnesota.

Zimmerman's streak of safely reaching base ended at 43 games. He went 0 for 4 and struck out twice, falling three games short of the franchise record set by Rusty Staub for Montreal from 1969-70.

Phillies 5, Marlins 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) " Joe Blanton had a career-high 11 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings, and the Phillies held on to beat the Marlins.

Blanton (3-3) allowed five hits in his best outing since last August. Brad Lidge pitched out of jam in the ninth to earn his ninth save in 13 chances. Lidge, who was 48-for-48 last year, including the postseason, blew consecutive save opportunities against the New York Yankees last weekend.

Shane Victorino had four hits and Pedro Feliz had two hits and two RBIs for the NL East-leading Phillies, who have won nine of 12.

Marlins starter Andrew Miller (1-2) gave up four runs " two earned " and seven hits in six innings.

Cubs 6, Pirates 1, 5 innings

CHICAGO (AP) " Sean Marshall allowed four hits and singled in a run, Kosuke Fukudome homered and the Cubs beat the Pirates to snap an eight-game losing streak on a rain-shortened night.

Marshall (3-3) tied a season-high with six strikeouts before the game was called with none out in the top of the sixth following a delay of 1 hour, 2 minutes, and the two-time defending NL Central champions ended their longest slide in three years.

The Cubs didn't wait long to pounce on Ian Snell (1-6) after rain pushed the start back 7 minutes.

They scored a run with two out in each of the first three innings " on Fukudome's solo shot in the first, Marshall's single in the second and Micah Hoffpauir's double in the third.

Cardinals 8, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) " Adam Wainwright hit one of four Cardinals homers and struck out a career-high nine in seven innings, lifting St. Louis to a win over the Brewers.

Nick Stavinoha, Colby Rasmus and Chris Duncan also homered for the Cardinals to snap a four-game skid against their NL Central rivals.

Wainwright (5-2) lost a 1-0 decision on May 16 against Brewers starter Jeff Suppan despite giving up just two hits over eight innings. This time, the 27-year-old right-hander made sure the Cardinals scored at least one run and worked out of two bases-loaded jams, finishing by scattering five hits and two walks.

Dodgers 7, Rockies 1

DENVER (AP) " Eric Milton allowed one run in five innings for his first win in nearly three years and Casey Blake hit a three-run double in the fifth, leading the Dodgers to a win over the Rockies.

Milton (1-0) struck out three and walked none in helping the Dodgers to their seventh win in eight meetings with the Rockies. He hadn't won since beating St. Louis on Aug. 8, 2006, for the Cincinnati Reds.

A former All-Star who pitched a no-hitter a decade ago for Minnesota, Milton had reconstructive surgery on his left elbow in June 2007 and missed all of 2008 before joining the Dodgers as a free agent in February.