National League roundup
Bonds hits 728th homer as Giants beat Cubs, 4-2 CHICAGO (AP) – Barry Bonds hit his 728th career homer, Ray Durham and Moises Alou connected on back-to-back shots in the sixth, and Matt Cain pitched 7 2-3 innings Saturday to lead the San Francisco Giants over the Chicago Cubs 4-2.
Bonds, booed as he came to bat each time, drove Sean Marshall’s 3-2 pitch into the right-field seats with two outs in the fourth to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Bonds’ fourth homer in the last 10 games and 20th of the season leaves him just 27 away from tying career leader Hank Aaron (755).
Facing Marshall (5-9) again in the sixth, Bonds walked with two outs and Durham followed with a two-run shot to left, his 21st of the season. One pitch later, Alou hit another drive to the left-field seats, and the Giants had a 4-1 lead.
Bonds went 1-for-3 and struck out against Will Ohman in the eighth.
Derrek Lee hit his fifth homer of the season off Giants reliever Armando Benitez in the ninth to cut it to 4-2. It was Lee’s first homer since June 28.
Mike Stanton got two outs for his fourth save in six chances.
Cain (11-9) was perfect in the first four innings and the only run he allowed was unearned.
Mets 4, Astros 2
HOUSTON – Cliff Floyd had a double and two RBIs in his return from the disabled list to back rookie John Maine’s strong pitching and the Mets beat the Astros.
Floyd, activated from the 15-day DL before the game, had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a run-scoring double in the ninth to help the Mets to their 13th win in the last 15 games. He had been out since Aug. 9 with an Achilles’ tendon injury.
Maine (5-3) pitched 6 1-3 innings and gave up just two hits, but they were both home runs, and struck out three. Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his 34th save in 39 chances.
Carlos Beltran injured his knee when he crashed into the left field wall when making a catch on a long fly by Lance Berkman in the ninth inning. He made the throw and then went down to the ground. After being tended to by the trainers for a few minutes, Beltran walked off gingerly with help.
Jason Hirsh (2-3) allowed five hits and three runs in six innings.
Braves 4, Phillies 3 Phillies 16, Braves 4
PHILADELPHIA – Mike Lieberthal homered and drove in four runs, helping the Phillies split a doubleheader with Atlanta.
In the opener, Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer off Arthur Rhodes in the ninth inning to lead Atlanta to a victory.
Chase Utley hit two homers to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead, but Rhodes blew his second straight save opportunity. Filling in for injured All-Star closer Tom Gordon, Rhodes (0-4) also wasted a two-run lead in the ninth inning of a 6-5, 10-inning loss to Washington on Thursday night.
After starter Scott Mathieson left with a strained right elbow following one pitch to the second batter he faced, the offense made it an easy night for the relievers in the nightcap. Philadelphia had 17 hits and a 14-3 lead through five innings.
Nationals 7, D’backs 6 Nationals 4, D’backs 3
WASHINGTON – Austin Kearns and Ryan Zimmerman homered to lead the Washington Nationals over Livan Hernandez and the Diamondbacks, completing a sweep of the day-night doubleheader.
The Nationals rallied in both games of the doubleheader to extend their winning streak over the Diamondbacks at RFK Stadium to five.
Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer and Zimmerman’s bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning lifted the Nationals over the Diamondbacks 7-6 in the opening game for their first back-to-back wins in franchise history when trailing by two or more runs entering the ninth.
Hernandez (10-12) was traded from the Nationals to Arizona on Aug. 7 and took a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning in his return to Washington. He struck out Jose Vidro to begin the inning. After Zimmerman’s homer, Nick Johnson singled and Kearns hit a two-run drive to put the Nationals in front.
Chad Cordero walked Eric Byrnes in the ninth and then struck out the side for his 24th save in 27 chances. Cordero (6-4) also threw two scoreless innings in the first game to get the win. Saul Rivera (2-0) got the win in the second game.