HOUSTON – Carlos Lee homered for the third time in four games and Roy Oswalt outpitched Greg Maddux to win for the seventh time in eight starts against the Padres.

Oswalt (10-6) matched a season high with 10 strikeouts, showing no ill effects from a strained chest muscle that forced him to miss his last start.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 6

ST. LOUIS – Ryan Ludwick’s RBI single capped a three-run ninth inning against Milwaukee Brewers closer Francisco Cordero in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 7-6 victory on Saturday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Ryan Braun was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for the Brewers to back rookie Manny Parra, who pitched six strong innings and hit a two-run double in his first career start.

Mets, Nationals split

NEW YORK – Ryan Langerhans hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, and Washington salvaged a split of their day-night doubleheader.

In the first game, Orlando Hernandez (7-4) threw seven crisp innings in the Mets’ 3-1 win.

New York finished the day without two All-Stars. Center fielder Carlos Beltran didn’t play in either game because of a stomach muscle strain, and catcher Paul Lo Duca left the nightcap with an injured right hamstring.

D-backs 4, Braves 3

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PHOENIX – Conor Jackson singled home Chris Young with one out in the tenth inning as the Diamondbacks won for the eighth time in a row – and third in their final at-bat.

Rockies 6, Dodgers 2

DENVER – Jeff Francis scattered seven hits over 7 2-3 innings, and Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday hit two-run homers for Colorado.

With Arizona’s win Saturday, the Dodgers are only percentage points ahead of the Diamondbacks for the lead in the NL West.

Cubs 8, Reds 1

CINCINNATI – Alfonso Soriano homered twice and drove in five runs as the Cubs avoided back-to-back losses for the first time in nearly two months.

Reds ace Aaron Harang left the game after the first inning because of lower back soreness.

Phillies 10, Pirates 5

PHILADELPHIA – Chris Coste hit a three-run homer, Jimmy Rollins drove in three runs and the Phillies won for the seventh time in eight games.

J.D. Durbin (3-2) pitched five shaky innings but left with a five-run lead.

Rollins, batting in Chase Utley’s No. 3 spot in the lineup, had three hits and fell a homer short of the cycle. Coste tied a career-high with four RBIs, and new second baseman Tadahito Iguchi was 1-for-3 with a walk and sacrifice fly in his first game since joining the Phillies.

Iguchi was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on Friday to replace Utley, who had surgery on his broken right ring finger and could miss up to a month.

Freddy Sanchez hit a three-run homer for the Pirates, who have the second-worst record in the majors behind Tampa Bay.

Starter Shane Youman didn’t record an out in the fifth. He allowed seven runs – six earned – and eight hits. Masumi Kuwata (0-2) gave up three runs and four hits in two innings.


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