Steady Martinez Shuts Down Astros
National League
Ramon Martinez pitched his first shutout of the season, scattering seven hits as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 3-0 Saturday night at Los Angeles.
Martinez (6-1) won for the 15th time in his last 17 decisions since August 1995. He allowed three hits in the final six innings and retired 18 of the last 22 batters for his 19th career shutout.
Martinez, who has yet to allow more than four runs in any of his nine starts this season, struck out a season-high eight and walked one in his first complete game of the season.
The Dodgers lowered their major league-leading ERA to 3.08, and Martinez lowered his mark to 2.49.
Braves 6, Giants 0 San Francisco
Greg Maddux pitched two-hit ball for eight innings and Atlanta matched a season-high with its fifth straight win.
Chipper Jones homered and drove in three runs to back Maddux’s second straight strong outing. Atlanta has won 17 of its last 20 against the Giants.
Cardinals 9, Expos 4 Montreal
Willie McGee drove in four runs and Mike Morgan pitched eight strong innings before tiring as St. Louis beat Montreal.
Ray Lankford and John Mabry hit solo home runs, and Danny Sheaffer added a two-run double as St. Louis won for the seventh time in 10 games. It was the Cardinals’ first win in five games at Montreal this season.
Mets 5, Reds 2 New York
Mark Clark pitched eight strong innings and Alex Ochoa drove in two runs in his season debut, leading New York over Cincinnati.
Butch Huskey drove in three runs, helping Clark (7-6) win his third straight decision. Clark gave up four hits, and John Franco pitched the ninth for his 16th save.
Pete Schourek (4-5), making his first start since being placed on the disabled list May 31 because of an injured left elbow, lost his fourth consecutive decision.
Phillies 5, Rockies 4 Philadelphia
Mike Benjamin drew a bases-loaded walk from Colorado reliever Ryan Hawblitzel with two outs in the seventh inning, giving Philadelphia a win.
Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks homered for the Rockies. Colorado connected in its 16th straight game, one short of the team record set in 1993.
Rookie Ron Blazier (1-0) pitched one inning and won his first big-league decision. Ricky Bottalico worked the ninth for his 16th save.
Hawblitzel lost in his first major league decision.
Bucs 4, Marlins 1 (10) Miami
Pinch-hitter Dave Clark broke a scoreless tie in the 10th inning with a two-out RBI single, and Jeff King followed with a three-run homer to boost Pittsburgh.
The Marlins lost an extra-inning game for the third time this week.
With one out in the 10th, Jason Kendall walked and pinch-hitter Mark Johnson singled off Yorkis Perez (2-2). Terry Mathews replaced Perez and retired Carlos Garcia, but Clark hit a one-hopper that deflected into right field off the glove of first baseman Greg Colbrunn.
Clearing the bases
New York’s Bernard Gilkey left the game in the seventh inning and was replaced by Chris Jones. Gilkey was banged up in a collision at home plate while scoring in the fourth inning, and complained of a bruise in his right knee. Gilkey had an interesting night in left field. In the fourth, he reached over the wall to rob Willie Greene of a home run. In the fifth, he lost Morris’ fly ball in the lights and let it fall for a triple. … Mark Sweeney led off and played left field for St. Louis in place of slumping Ron Gant. Gant, who led off the Cardinals’ previous seven games since returning from the disabled list, is in the midst of a 2-for-13 slump.