NEW YORK — Scott Hairston, subbing for ailing All-Star Carlos Beltran, hit a long homer and drove in a career-best five runs as the New York Mets hammered Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels yet again in an 11-2 victory Saturday.
Daniel Murphy also went deep and Jonathon Niese pitched seven strong innings to help the depleted Mets snap a three-game skid. Beltran sat out with the flu and a high fever, so manager Terry Collins inserted a not-so-secret weapon against Hamels (11-5).
Hairston batted third in large part because he entered with a .353 career average (6 for 17) and three homers against the left-hander.
CARDINALS 4, REDS 1: At Cincinnati, Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer — his second in two days — and Chris Carpenter stymied the NL's most prolific offense again, leading St. Louis to a victory over the Reds. Pujols connected in the fifth inning off Bronson Arroyo (7-8). It was Pujols' 20th homer overall and his third since returning from a broken left wrist. Carpenter (5-7) allowed Joey Votto's RBI single in eight innings, improving to 14-4 career against the Reds. He's won 12 of his last 13 decisions against Cincinnati.
MARLINS 13, CUBS 3: At Chicago, Mike Stanton hit two home runs, Javier Vazquez struck out 10 and the Florida Marlins routed the Cubs. Hanley Ramirez hit three doubles and scored three times, and Logan Morrison added a three-run homer as the Marlins won for the seventh time in eight games. Stanton had three hits and drove in four runs. He hit a leadoff homer in the fourth inning and added a three-run shot, his 20th, in the fifth that finished Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano.
ASTROS 6, PIRATES 4: At Houston, Humberto Quintero hit the go-ahead single in a three-run eighth inning. The Astros trailed 4-3 before Hunter Pence walked and scored on a fielder's choice to tie it up in the eighth. Clint Barmes reached on an error by Brandon Wood when his grounder bounced off his glove and into the outfield to leave runners at the corners with one out.
NATIONALS 5, BRAVES 2: At Atlanta, John Lannan gave up two runs in 52/3 innings and had his first two hits of the season to lead Washington. Lannan (6-6) also drove in two runs and earned the win eight days after he escaped with only a small cartilage break in his nose when he was hit by a line drive.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, DODGERS 2: At Phoenix, Brandon Allen hit a three-run homer in his first start back in the majors to provide Ian Kennedy all the support he needed and lift Arizona over the Dodgers.
PADRES 11, GIANTS 3: At San Diego, Jesus Guzman and Orlando Hudson each hit three-run homers, and rookie Corey Luebke pitched seven strong innings to help the Padres snap a season-high seven-game losing streak. Guzman had a career-high four RBIs for the NL's worst offensive team.
BREWERS 8, ROCKIES 7: At Denver, Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning as Milwaukee came back after squandering a seventh-inning lead and beat Colorado in a game that included the ejections of Rockies manager Jim Tracy and catcher Chris Iannetta. With two outs in the ninth and the score tied at 6-6, Huston Street (0-3) walked Prince Fielder. Weeks followed with a drive that just cleared center fielder Dexter Fowler's attempt for a leaping catch at the wall.