CHICAGO -- Adam Wainwright pitched seven scoreless innings and Matt Holliday hit a solo homer to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 1-0 victory and a series win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
The Cardinals won two of the three games at Wrigley Field in the weekend set. The Cubs have not won a home series since taking two of three from the Miami Marlins June 6-8.
Wainwright allowed five hits and walked three during his seven innings. It was a far cry from his previous outing when he allowed six runs (four earned) in 4 2-3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last Tuesday.
Kevin Siegrist worked the eighth and Trevor Rosenthal pitched the ninth for his 32nd save in 36 chances.
Cubs rookie Kyle Hendricks (1-1) allowed just one run on seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.
With the wind blowing out to right field, the conditions seemed ideal for a classic Wrigley slugfest -- a feeling seemingly confirmed when Holliday, the third batter of the game, lifted a drive to center field that landed in the batter's eye for a solo homer and a 1-0 Cardinals lead.
But that's where the score stayed as the starters took control.
Nationals 4, Reds 2
CINCINNATI -- Doug Fister took advantage of facing the slumping Cincinnati Reds to extend the best season-opening start by any Washington pitcher.
Fister (10-2) allowed just three hits with one walk and five strikeouts in seven shutout innings to reach 10 wins in 14 starts, one fewer than any previous Washington pitcher. Gio Gonzalez reached 10 wins in 15 starts in 2012, and Jordan Zimmerman duplicated him last season. The Nationals moved to Washington from Montreal in 2005.
Adam LaRoche drove in two runs and Anthony Rendon added an RBI single in the ninth to help send the Reds to their eighth loss in nine games since the All-Star break. They are hitting .178 (50-for-281) in that span.
Devin Mesoraco's two-run double in the ninth off Rafael Soriano allowed the Reds to avoid their 11th shutout loss. Soriano regrouped to get the final three outs for his 200th career save.
Braves 8, Padres 3
ATLANTA -- Chris Johnson and Ryan Doumit each drove in two runs during Atlanta's six-run third inning and the Braves beat Eric Stults and the San Diego Padres.
The Braves trailed 1-0 before roughing up Stults (3-13).
Back-to-back doubles by Gerald Laird and Andrelton Simmons started the inning. Tommy La Stella hit an RBI single that skipped between Stults' legs, Johnson had a two-run double before Doumit followed with a two-run single.
Yangervis Solarte led off the third with his first homer since his trade from the Yankees on Tuesday. Mike Minor (4-6) didn't allow another run until Rene Rivera's eighth homer with two outs in the sixth.
Mets 2, Brewers 0
MILWAUKEE -- Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer, rookie Jacob deGrom pitched well into the seventh, and the New York Mets split a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Duda sent an 0-2 slider in the sixth from rookie Jimmy Nelson (1-2) into the second deck above right field to break a scoreless pitcher's duel. It was Duda's third homer in four days in Milwaukee.
The Brewers mounted a ninth-inning rally against Jenrry Mejia with two outs after Jean Segura's single put runners on first and second. Mejia got Lyle Overbay to ground out for his 15th save.
DeGrom (5-5) held the Brewers to four hits and two walks, exiting with one out in the seventh after allowing two singles. Vic Black got out of that jam.
Marlins 4, Astros 2
HOUSTON -- Garrett Jones and Marcell Ozuna homered to lead the Miami Marlins over the Houston Astros and complete a three game sweep.
Jones' homer capped a three-run first for the Marlins, and Ozuna padded the lead with his solo shot in the sixth. Miami has won seven of eight following a six-game skid.
Jacob Turner (4-6) allowed one run and six hits in 5 2-3 innings to win his second start since moving from the bullpen. Steve Cishek allowed one run in the ninth before getting his 26th save in 29 chances.
Pirates 7, Rockies 5
DENVER -- Josh Harrison had four hits, including a tiebreaking homer, to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies.
Gregory Polanco and Travis Snider also went deep for the Pirates, who avoided being swept in Colorado for the second-straight season.
Sports on 07/28/2014