panoo

Final Score: Pittsburgh 13, New York 1

Xavier Nady and Nate McLouth each stroked three hits and drove in three runs, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 13-1 rout of the New York Mets in the finale of a rain-shortened two-game set at Shea Stadium. Nady was 3-for-3 with two walks and a pair of runs scored, while McLouth finished 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored for the Pirates, who bounced back from a 5-4 loss in 11 innings on Tuesday to win for just the second time in their last six games. Tom Gorzelanny (2-3) worked the required five innings to earn the victory and snap a two-start skid. He yielded just one hit without allowing a run, walking five with four strikeouts. The lefty appeared to hurt his back throwing a pitch with two outs in the fifth, but got the final out before leaving for a pinch hitter in the sixth. Former Pirate Oliver Perez (2-2) suffered his second straight loss for the Mets. The lefty was charged with seven runs -- two earned -- on just two hits, but walked five and struck out two. Ryan Church drove in the lone run for the Mets, who committed three errors and managed just two hits. New York had a three-game win streak stopped.

Final Score: St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 2

Aaron Miles and Rick Ankiel each drove in a pair of runs to back the six-inning effort of Braden Looper, as the St. Louis Cardinals notched a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the rubber match of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Miles finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Ankiel was 3-for-3 with a walk for the Cardinals, who won 18 games in April to set a franchise record for the opening month of a season. St. Louis previously won 17 April games in 2000 and 2006. Looper (4-1) was 0-1 in his previous two starts after opening the season with three straight wins. He gave up two runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts to earn the win. Three relievers combined for two scoreless innings before Jason Isringhausen set down the side in order in the ninth for his ninth save. Aaron Harang (1-4) took the loss and fell to 0-3 in his last four starts. He surrendered three runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings. Ryan Freel was 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Reds, while Edwin Encarnacion homered in defeat.

Final Score: Arizona 8, Houston 7

Eric Byrnes' run-scoring single in the sixth inning proved to be the difference as Arizona roared back to edge Houston, 8-7, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Chase Field. Conor Jackson and Micah Owings both homered for the Diamondbacks, who have won three of four games and finished April with 19 wins, a franchise record for the month. Randy Johnson was touched for six runs on nine hits in just four innings of work but picked up a no-decision when the Arizona offense bailed him out. Brandon Medders (1-0) earned his first win of the season after giving up an unearned run in two innings of relief. Carlos Lee belted a three-run homer for the Astros, who finished an eight-game road trip at 4-4. Lance Berkman was 1- for-4 with a pair of RBI. Shawn Chacon started on the hill and despite being staked an early four-run lead, the soft-throwing right-hander couldn't hold on. Chacon allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings. Dave Borkowski (0-2) lost it after imploding in the sixth inning.

Final Score: San Francisco 3, Colorado 2

Jose Castillo provided the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning solo home run, and the San Francisco Giants took the rubber match of their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies, 3-2, in a matinee at AT&T Park. Aaron Rowand also homered and Randy Winn drove in the other San Francisco run. Steve Holm went 2-for-2 with a walk for the Giants, who have won five of eight. Jonathan Sanchez allowed just two runs on five hits and five walks in his start, lasting 5 2/3 innings before Merkin Valdez (1-0) recorded four outs to earn his first win. Brian Wilson picked up his ninth save with a scoreless ninth. Ryan Speier (0-1) took the loss after allowing the Castillo homer. Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez lasted 5 1/3 innings, yielding two runs on just three hits while striking out four. Garrett Atkins and Ryan Spilborghs drove in the runs for Colorado, which totaled just five hits and stranded 12 runners in losing for the ninth time in 11 games.

Final Score: Washington 3, Atlanta 2 (12 innings)

Felipe Lopez knocked in the game-winning run with an opposite field, bases loaded hit in the 12th inning, as the Washington Nationals rallied to upend the Atlanta Braves, 3-2 in an excellent pitching battle by both staffs at Nationals Park. After the Braves took a one-run lead in the top of the inning, reliever Manny Acosta imploded in the bottom half. Following a walk to Austin Kearns and a single to Willie Harris, Acosta booted a sacrifice bunt from Wil Nieves to load the bases. Ronnie Belliard worked a five-pitch walk to force in the tying run, and Buddy Carlyle was called in to relieve Acosta. Lopez followed with a shot over the head of Gregor Blanco in left, and Kearns trotted home to cap the come-from- behind win. Shawn Hill was brilliant in his eight-inning start, allowing a single run on four hits and two walks while throwing just 93 pitches for Washington, which has won three straight. Saul Rivera (3-1) picked up the win despite giving up the go-ahead run. Lopez finished with two hits and two runs batted in.

Final Score: San Diego 4, Philadelphia 2

Tadahito Iguchi went 4-for-5, scored once and knocked in a run against his former squad, helping to propel the San Diego Padres past the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, to even the series at Citizens Bank Park. Chris Young (2-2) earned the victory after tossing six innings and allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six. After Young's departure, relievers Joe Thatcher, Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman each worked scoreless innings to hold off the Phils, with Hoffman notching his fifth save of the season. Adrian Gonzalez clobbered a two-run homer for the Padres, who had dropped seven of their last eight outings and 11 of 13. Kevin Kouzmanoff connected on a solo shot, and Brian Giles batted 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. Chase Utley belted a two-run home run for Philadelphia, which, in spite of the loss concluded its first winning April since the 2003 campaign. Jamie Moyer (1-2) took the loss after surrendering four runs on nine hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings.

Final Score: Los Angeles 13, Florida 1

Matt Kemp was 3-for-5, drove in three runs and scored twice as the Los Angeles Dodgers demolished the Florida Marlins, 13-1, in the middle contest of a three-game set at Dolphin Stadium. Rafael Furcal went 5-for-6 and scored three runs for the Dodgers, who picked up their fifth straight win. Blake DeWitt went 2-for-5 with four RBI, while James Loney smacked a three-run triple and Russell Martin was 2-for-2, belted a solo home run and walked three times. Chad Billingsley (1-4) broke out of his season-long slide, picking up his first win after allowing one run on three hits while striking out eight over seven innings. Scott Olsen (1-3) took the loss for the Marlins, allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings, while four Florida relievers combined to surrender nine runs -- six earned -- over three innings. Jeremy Hermida was 2-for-3, tripled and drove in Florida's lone run.

Final Score: Chicago 19, Milwaukee 5

Geovany Soto belted a pair of three-run homers, and the Chicago Cubs clobbered the Milwaukee Brewers, 19-5, at Wrigley Field. After dropping the opener of the three-game set, 10-7, on Tuesday, the Cubs responded by notching a season-high 19 runs on 17 hits, led by Soto's career- high six-RBI effort. Aramis Ramirez and Ronny Cedeno -- who didn't even enter the contest until the sixth inning -- knocked in three runs apiece, and Mark DeRosa went 2-for-3 with three walks, three runs scored and two RBI. Ryan Theriot stole a base and scored three runs for Chicago, which had lost four of five before busting out for at least five runs in three different innings on Wednesday. The 19 runs were the most for the Cubs in a single game since May 5, 2001, when they pounded the Los Angeles Dodgers, 20-1. Ryan Dempster (4-0) garnered plenty of run support to earn the win for the Cubs -- his second of the season against the Brewers -- tossing six innings and giving up three runs on four hits and five walks. Meanwhile, Jeff Suppan (1-1) struggled through 3 2/3 innings for Milwaukee, surrendering 11 runs -- eight earned -- on 11 hits and one walk. Derrick Turnbow allowed another six runs on four hits and four walks in just two-thirds of an inning in relief.