Associated Press
NEW YORK ó 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.
Niese (9-7) allowed one earned run and six hits while striking out six and walking one.
Marlins 13, Cubs 3
CHICAGO ó 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.
Zambrano (6-5) was activated from the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day. He had a rocky 4 2-3 innings, giving up eight earned runs on seven hits and four walks.
Vazquez (6-8) went seven innings. Vazquez allowed only one hit through 51/3 innings before Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer later in the sixth.
Cardinals 4, Reds 1
CINCINNATI ó Albert Pujols is looking awfully healthy these days.
The former MVP hit a three-run homer ó his second in two days ó and Chris Carpenter stymied the NL’s most prolific offense again, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.
Pujols connected in the fifth inning off Bronson Arroyo (7-8), who gives up the most homers in the NL. It was Pujols’ 20th homer overall and his third since returning from a broken left wrist that cost him only two weeks.
Astros 6, Pirates 4
HOUSTON ó Humberto Quintero hit the go-ahead single in a three-run eighth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
The Astros trailed 4-3 before Hunter Pence walked and scored on a fielder’s choice to tie it up in the eighth.
Nationals 5, Braves 2
ATLANTA ó John Lannan wants to be able to help the Nationals with his arm and his bat. For the first time this season, he was productive both ways.
Lannan gave up two runs in 52/3 innings and had his first two hits of the season to lead Washington to a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
“Definitely a monkey off the back,” said Lannan, who also drove in two runs. “I want to help the team as much as possible.
Lannan (6-6) 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. He was 0 for 32 this season before his bases-loaded grounder made it through the middle to drive in two runs in the second inning.
Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for Atlanta.
Michael Morse’s leadoff double sparked the Nationals’ three-run second inning off Hanson (10-5). Morse scored on another double by Ramos before Lannan’s two-run single.
Hanson suffered his first loss since May 27. He pitched 5 1-3 innings and gave up season-high totals of five runs on eight hits, falling to 0-2 in three starts against the Nationals this season. Hanson had two walks and eight strikeouts.
Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2
PHOENIX ó 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 the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday night.
Allen, recalled from Triple-A Reno on Friday, connected off Hiroki Kuroda (6-11) in the second inning and Kennedy (10-3) overcame some late control problems to become Arizona’s first 10-game winner. Fill-in closer David Hernandez worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save.