LOS ANGELES – Carlos Zambrano was dominant again, allowing two hits over eight innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 Thursday to avoid being swept for the first time this season.

The Cubs capitalized on Hideo Nomo’s lack of control by turning three consecutive walks and four hits into six runs in the second inning.

Zambrano (4-1) has given up just one unearned run in his last 24 innings. He pitched a two-hitter against Colorado last Friday.

The right-hander gave up an unearned run in the seventh inning and struck out 11, walked two and hit two batters. The Dodgers’ hits came on Adrian Beltre’s infield single in the second and Shawn Green’s double with two outs in the sixth.

Braves 6, Cardinals 5

ST. LOUIS – J.D. Drew homered against his former team for the second straight day and Chipper Jones had three hits Thursday, helping the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 and avoid a three-game sweep.

Marcus Giles, Johnny Estrada and starter John Thomson each drove in a run for the Braves, who won for only the second time in eight games. Atlanta scored just 15 runs in the previous seven.

Brewers 7, Expos 4

MILWAUKEE – Doug Davis threw eight strong innings and the Milwaukee Brewers posted their third straight come-from-behind win over the Montreal Expos, 7-4 Thursday.

Lyle Overbay extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games with his major league-leading 19th double and Bill Hall homered as the Brewers swept the Expos for the first time since joining the National League in 1998.

The Brewers, who overcame deficits of 5-0 and 3-0 in the first two games of the series, fell behind 3-0 in the second inning. Three unearned runs were charged to Davis (3-2) after a crazy play that included three mistakes.

Phillies 4, Giants 3

SAN FRANCISCO – Jason Michaels homered for the first time this season and Vicente Padilla pitched six-plus effective innings in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.

Ryan Madson worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth as the Phillies took two of three from the defending NL West champions to improve to 5-1 on their current 10-game road trip, which concludes with four games at Colorado.

A.J. Pierzynski hit his first homer since joining the Giants in the offseason to lead off the second and also singled. But he flied out to end the game with runners on second and third.

Rockies 7-2, Pirates 5-11

DENVER – Oliver Perez pitched his second complete game of the year and Pittsburgh had a season-high 21 hits Thursday night, sending the Pirates to an 11-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies and a doubleheader split.

Shawn Estes pitched the Rockies to a 7-5 win in the opener of the first traditional doubleheader at Coors Field – there have been 15 day-night twinbills in which fans had to buy separate tickets for each game.

Rob Mackowiak tripled, doubled, singled and drove in three runs in the second game for Pittsburgh, which set its previous season high of 19 hits in a 15-10 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday.

Marlins 3, Astros 2

HOUSTON – A mental mistake by Gold Glove catcher Brad Ausmus allowed the go-ahead run to score in the ninth inning, and the Florida Marlins rallied past the Houston Astros 3-2 Thursday night.

After Juan Pierre tied it at 2 with an RBI triple off Octavio Dotel (0-2), the Marlins loaded the bases with none out for Miguel Cabrera.

Mets 7, Diamondbacks 4

PHOENIX – Vance Wilson hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot off Brandon Webb, and the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-4 Thursday night.

Danny Garcia added his second homer of the year and Cliff Floyd had an RBI single in his return from the disabled list to help the Mets split the four-game series.

Luis Gonzalez dropped a fly ball in left field, allowing a run to score in the seventh inning, and the Diamondbacks fell to 2-5 on a 10-game homestand.

Jae Seo (2-3) got the win but left after five innings with a blister on his right index finger. He allowed three runs on five hits and walked two.

Arizona’s Danny Bautista hit a two-run homer and Matt Kata ended a 2-for-33 slump with his first home run of the season, a solo shot off David Weathers that cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh.

Braden Looper got three outs for his second save in two nights and sixth in seven chances this season.

All four of New York’s fourth-inning runs came with two outs. Kaz Matsui beat out an infield single for the Mets’ first hit of the night. Ty Wigginton walked with two outs, then Wilson – in just his sixth start of the season – homered down the left-field line on Webb’s 0-1 pitch.

Mike Cameron singled, stole second and scored on Garcia’s single for a 4-1 lead.

The Diamondbacks went up 1-0 in the first when Chad Tracy led off with a double, went to third on Alex Cintron’s bunt single and scored on Shea Hillenbrand’s sacrifice fly.

Hillenbrand doubled to left-center in the fourth but was thrown out on a relay from shortstop Matsui trying to stretch it into a triple. It was a risk that probably cost Arizona a run because Steve Finley walked, then Bautista lined a shot into the left-field seats, his fifth homer of the season, to cut the lead to 4-3.

The Mets added an unearned run in the seventh when Eric Valent’s routine fly bounced out of Gonzalez’s glove for an error, allowing Garcia to score from second. Garcia was hit by a pitch, then went to second on pinch-hitter Joe McEwing’s sacrifice bunt.

Webb (2-3), in his second loss in a row, allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits. He struck out two, walked three and hit a batter with a pitch.

Garcia homered off Andrew Good on the first pitch of the ninth inning.

Floyd went 1-for-5 with a two-out single in the ninth. He had been sidelined since April 11 with a strained right quadriceps.

Notes: Mets LHP Al Leiter returned to New York for tests on his sore pitching shoulder. He is questionable for his next scheduled start Sunday in Houston. … New York designated INF Ricky Gutierrez for assignment to make room for Floyd. … Mike Piazza started at first base for the second night in a row. … LHP Casey Fossum makes his Diamondbacks debut against Montreal on Friday night. … The crowd of 25,573 was Arizona’s smallest of the season. … Mets LHP John Franco made his 1,051st appearance, moving him into fourth on the career list.

AP-ES-05-14-04 0017EDT