Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ó Dave Bush held Philadelphia hitless for 71/3 innings before pinch-hitter Matt Stairs homered off the foul pole, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Phillies 6-1 Thursday.
Several innings after World Series MVP Cole Hamels was forced to leave after getting hit in the left shoulder by Prince Fielder’s line drive, Bush (1-0) became the big story on the mound.
Bush was the sixth pitcher to take a no-hit bid into the late innings this season. All of them got broken up.
Right after third baseman Bill Hall made a tremendous play to preserve Bush’s try, Stairs launched a high fly that hit the pole in right field.
This was the third time Bush took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Bush walked three, struck out four and hit two batters, including Jimmy Rollins leading off the first.
Ryan Braun and Hall homered for Milwaukee and Fielder contributed a three-run double.
Dodgers 2, Astros 0HOUSTON ó Chad Billingsley pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning and Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake each drove in a run, leading the Dodgers over the Astros.
Billingsley (4-0) has won his first four starts of the season, the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Kazuhisa Ishii won his first six in 2002.
He was helped by double plays that ended the second, fifth and sixth innings.
Billingsley retired Ivan Rodriguez to start the eighth inning before he was chased on a single by Michael Bourn. In 71/3 innings, Billingsley struck out five and walked two in his 100th major league appearance. He was replaced by Jonathan Broxton, who finished for the save.
Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (1-2) allowed five hits and one run while striking out four in six innings.
Cardinals 12, Mets 8
ST. LOUIS ó Albert Pujols homered twice and Kyle Lohse hung on for another win as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets to complete a three-game sweep.
Rick Ankiel homered and doubled twice and Skip Schumaker hit a pair of RBI doubles as the Cardinals punished Livan Hernandez and won their seventh in a row at home. The Mets lost their fourth straight overall.
St. Louis led 11-3 after six innings en route to sweeping the Mets in a three-game series at home for the first time since Aug. 6-8, 2004.
Pujols had three hits and scored four times.
Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church homered for the Mets.
Reds 7, Cubs 1
CHICAGO ó Aaron Harang allowed only one unearned run over seven innings and Joey Votto homered, doubled twice and singled, leading the Cincinnati Reds over the sloppy Chicago Cubs.
The Reds went 7-3 on their first road swing of the season, marking the first time since 2004 they’d won three series on the same trip.
Harang (2-2) scattered seven hits in outpitching Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano (1-1), who hasn’t won at Wrigley Field since last Aug. 21. Harang walked one and struck out two, including his 1,000th career strikeout.
Votto tied his career high for hits as the Reds finally put some runs on the board for Harang ó he had received one, two and zero runs of support in his first three starts.