Friday National League Capsules.
PHILADELPHIA 8, WASHINGTON 4
PHILADELPHIA September continues to be Ryan Howards favorite month.
Howard homered and collected four RBI and Chase Utley added a three-run double as the Philadelphia Phillies erupted for seven runs over the first two innings and coasted to an 8-4 victory over the Washington Nationals.
The Phillies (90-70) increased their lead over the New York Mets (88-72) to two games in the National League East. The Mets lost to Florida on Friday.
Philadelphias offense came at the expense of Collin Balester (3-7), who allowed seven runs and seven hits in just 1 2/3 innings.
With one out in the first, Jayson Werth and Utley singled to put runners at the corners. Howard then drove an 0-1 pitch for his major league-leading 48th home run, a three-run shot into the Phillies bullpen in right-center field that gave Philadelphia a 3-0 lead.
The slugger has hit 11 homers and driven in 32 runs this month. The 32 RBI are a new franchise record for September.
After Washington got on the board in the top of the second, Philadelphia had the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom half when Utley capitalized. The All-Star hit a deep fly to left that hit the top of the wall – just missing a grand slam – but wound up as a bases-clearing double that made it 6-1.
Howard almost homered again as he also drove a ball off the fence down the left field line for a double that scored Utley for a 7-1 advantage.
Joe Blanton (4-0) was the beneficiary of the run support, giving up four runs – one earned – and five hits in six innings. The righthander was victimized by a passed ball and an error by Howard that led to three unearned runs.
Kory Casto hit a solo home run, Cristian Guzman had an RBI single and Emilio Bonifacio added a sacrifice fly that pulled the Nationals within 7-4 after six innings. But the Phillies added an unearned run in the seventh, when Utley scored on a passed ball.
FLORIDA 6, NY METS 1
FLUSHING, New York Rookie Chris Volstad tossed six solid innings and Josh Willingham homered as the Florida Marlins put a serious kink in the New York Mets postseason plans with a 6-1 victory.
Hanley Ramirez went 4-for-5 with three runs scored for the Marlins, who completed the Mets collapse last season by beating them on the seasons final day.
They are doing their best to play spoilers again. Volstad (6-4) allowed one unearned run and five hits in six innings. Willinghams homer in the sixth made it 3-0.
David Wright had two hits for New York (88-72), which fell one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers (89-71) in the wild-card race. Milwaukee beat Chicago on Friday.
The Mets also fell two games back of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Philadelphia defeated Washington on Friday.
ST. LOUIS 7, CINCINNATI 6
ST. LOUIS Troy Glaus delivered a sacrifice fly with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Glaus fly ball to center field offset a a two-run pinch homer by Javier Valentin that had tied the game at 6-6 with two outs in the top of the ninth.
The Cardinals built the winning run on a single by Felipe Lopez, a walk to Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Glaus.
Pujols had three hits, including his 36th home run, and two RBI for St. Louis.
MILWAUKEE 5, CHICAGO CUBS 1
MILWAUKEE Rickie Weeks belted a three-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers took over the National League wild card lead with a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Jason Kendall and Corey Hart each drove in a run for the Brewers (89-71), who took a one-game lead over the New York Mets (88-72) in the wild card race. New York lost to Florida on Friday.
Milwaukee led, 2-1, before Weeks three-run shot in the seventh gave it some breathing room. Seth McClung (6-6) allowed one hit over the final four frames to pick up the win.
Jim Edmonds homered for the Cubs.
Jeff Suppan allowed one run and eight hits in five innings for Milwaukee with five strikeouts and one walk but did not factor in the decision.
HOUSTON 5, ATLANTA 4
HOUSTON Darin Erstad blasted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Houston Astros a 5-4 triumph over the Atlanta Braves.
After the Brewers wasted an early four-run lead, Erstad lined the first pitch he saw from Julian Tavarez (1-5) into the right field seats to give Houston the win.
Ty Wigginton belted his 23rd home run of the year and Michael Bourn added three hits and a run for Houston, which was eliminated from playoff contention when the Milwaukee Brewers posted a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Jose Valverde (6-3) allowed a run on two hits and two walks in the ninth to blow the save, but the righthander received the win thanks to Erstads heroics.
Casey Kotchman drove in two runs and Josh Anderson added three hits and a pair of runs for the Braves.
PITTSBURGH 6, SAN DIEGO 3
SAN DIEGO Ryan Doumit belted a three-run home run in the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates dropped the San Diego Padres, 6-3.
Nate McLouth and Freddy Sanchez opened the sixth with singles. Doumit followed with a home run to right field, his 15th, to make it 4-1.
The Padres closed within 4-3 with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Pittsburgh iced the game in the ninth when right fielder Brian Giles dropped a fly ball with two outs, allowing two runs to score.
Sanchez, who had three hits, opened the scoring with a blast to left that made it 1-0 in the first The shot was the second basemans ninth of the season.
Nick Hundley tied the game in the fifth inning, belting his fifth home run
ARIZONA 6, COLORADO 4
PHOENIX Chad Tracy lined a go-ahead, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-4 triumph over the Colorado Rockies.
Tracy stroked a two-out, two-run double into the left field corner off Jason Grilli (3-3) to put the Diamondbacks ahead after Colorado had tied the game, 4-4, in the seventh.
Arizona, which trailed 3-0 after Colorado tallied three first-innings runs off starter Dan Haren, got on the board in the fourth on Justin Uptons 15th homer of the season. He also drove in a pair with a triple in the fifth.
Juan Cruz (4-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win and Chad Qualls retired the side in the ninth for his eighth save.
Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe had RBI doubles in the three-run first for Colorado.
SAN FRANCISCO 6, LA DODGERS 5 (10 INNINGS)
SAN FRANCISCO Dave Roberts RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the San Francisco Giants to a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Omar Vizquel doubled down the line in right field with two outs off Jason Johnson (1-2) before Roberts ended the game with a base hit to right, which barely avoided the reach of diving second baseman Pablo Ozuna.
Tyler Walker (5-8) pitched a perfect top of the 10th after closer Jonathan Broxton blew the save in the ninth by allowing an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Steve Holm.
