The San Diego Padres came up one short in their bid to surpass the longest winning streak in the club's 30-year history.
Shawn Estes and Robb Nen combined on a six-hitter and Rich Aurilia doubled and singled to drive in three runs as the San Francisco Giants stopped the Padres' 11-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory Saturday.Estes (6-5) allowed two runs on five hits in 71/3 innings. Nen got five outs for his NL-leading 22nd save as San Francisco pulled with-in 41/2 games of the first-place Padres in the NL West. Mark Langs-ton (1-1) took the loss.
San Diego's run equaled the club record of 11 straight from April 14-27, 1982, and matched San Francisco's 11-game winning streak from May 29-June 9 for longest in the majors this season.
CUBS 9, PHILLIES 4: At Chicago, Sammy Sosa hit two home runs for the second straight day and set a major league record with 16 homers in June, leading Kerry Wood and the Cubs past Philadelphia.
Wood (7-3), who turned 21 last Tuesday, hit his first big league home run and struck out 11.
MARLINS 8, METS 3: At New York, Livan Hernandez pitched a complete game and Todd Zeile hit a two-run homer as Florida beat New York for its first three-game winning streak of the season.
Hernandez (5-4) allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked two in the fourth complete game of his career.
ASTROS 9, REDS 8: At Houston, Carl Everett's two-out, bases-loaded double capped a four-run eighth, and Jeff Bagwell added a three-run homer as Houston beat Cincinnati for the Reds' seventh straight loss.
Astros starter Scott Elarton, making his major league debut, allowed five hits and three runs in 61/3 innings, striking out nine.
BRAVES 5, EXPOS 1: At Montreal, John Smoltz allowed four hits over seven innings in his return from the disabled list and Javy Lopez hit a three-run homer as Atlanta beat Montreal, snapping the Expos' three-game win streak.
Smoltz (5-1), who was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game, struck out eight and set down 11 straight after allowing a one-out double to Jose Vidro in the first inning.
ROCKIES 7, DODGERS 6: At Denver, Ellis Burks homered and drove in four runs and Colorado snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles.
Burks' three-run homer gave Colorado a 3-1 lead in the fourth, and he added an RBI single in a four-run fifth.
PIRATES 4, BREWERS 2: At Milwaukee, Jon Lieber surrendered four hits in eight innings and hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh to lift Pittsburgh past Milwaukee.
Lieber broke a 2-2 tie when he hit Cal Eldred's fastball into the gap in right-center, where it bounced into the stands, scoring Doug Strange from third.
CARDINALS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2: At St. Louis, Manny Aybar pitched six strong innings in his first start in nearly a month and Ray Lankford hit a two-run homer as St. Louis beat Arizona.
The Cardinals have won five of six to climb to .500 for the first time since June 4 at 36-36.