MILWAUKEE—Rickie Weeks hit a bases loaded, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give Milwaukee a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night and snap the Brewers’ six-game losing streak.

After looking lethargic most of the game, the Brewers came alive after Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen recorded two outs on the first two pitches in the ninth.

After Isringhausen (1-4) got the two quick outs, J.J. Hardy singled, pinch hitter Gabe Kapler hit a blooper to right and Isringhausen walked Jason Kendall to set up Weeks.

Weeks took Isringhausen’s second pitch to left field to score Hardy and Kapler.

Brian Shouse (3-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and the Brewers handed St. Louis its first three-game losing streak this season.

Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer allowed just two unearned runs over six innings, and the Brewers failed to score in the sixth despite having runners on the corners with no outs.

The Brewers, fresh off being swept in Houston and Florida, came in hitting .239 as a team, and general manager Doug Melvin said he planned to meet with the manager Ned Yost and the coaching staff on Monday to address the issues.

But Milwaukee came through in the nick of time after falling behind quickly 3-0 after two innings.

Albert Pujols homered in the first and the Cardinals got two more in the second off Wellemeyer’s RBI single and a bases-loaded walk by Brewers starter Manny Parra.



Astros 7, Dodgers 1

LOS ANGELES—Brian Moehler pitched five scoreless innings and Lance Berkman went 3-for-4 with a home run.

The 36-year-old Moehler (1-0), filling in for the injured Wandy Rodriguez, allowed five hits and a walk while striking out five. He has spent the majority of his big league career as a starter, though has been used exclusively in relief since rejoining the club in January 2007.

Derek Lowe (2-3) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander has not recorded an out in the sixth inning in any of his last five starts.

Berkman, who doubled and scored in the first, made it 6-0 in the fifth with his 12th homer, a two-run shot to right off Lowe. The Astros’ switch-hitting first baseman has six straight multihit games, and has hits in 16 of his last 20 at-bats.

Michael Bourn led off the third inning with an infield hit, winning a footrace with Lowe to the bag after first baseman James Loney fielded the ground ball. Bourn then stole his major league-leading 16th base in 16 tries and scored on a double by Kaz Matsui, who came home on Carlos Lee’s sacrifice fly.

Tejada hit a ninth-inning double against Scott Proctor.

Los Angeles has been outscored 19-2 over its last two games after winning 10 of the previous 11.



Phillies 7, Giants 4

SAN FRANCISCO—Jimmy Rollins led the Philadelphia Phillies to victory in his long-awaited return.

The reigning NL MVP came off the disabled list and hit a two-run homer, an RBI double and a single, sending the Phillies past the struggling San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Friday night.

Carlos Ruiz drove in two runs for the Phillies, including the go-ahead score in the eighth, and Cole Hamels (4-3) struck out seven in seven innings to win his second straight decision.

The Giants lost their season-high fifth straight game and sixth in seven to drop a season-worst eight games under .500 (14-22). Tyler Walker (1-1) lost.



Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 1

CHICAGO—Ted Lilly gave up another homer to Chris Young, but still led Chicago over Arizona in the first meeting between the teams since the Diamondbacks’ first-round sweep in last year’s playoffs.

Young homered off Lilly in Game 2 last October in Phoenix during Arizona’s 8-4 win, prompting Lilly to slam his glove on the pitcher’s mound in frustration.

This time Lilly surrendered a first-inning solo homer to Young, then gave up just two hits over the next six innings. Lilly (3-4) struck out 10 against the team with the best record in the majors and drove in the tying run with a fifth-inning single.

Carlos Marmol got out of the eighth with the help of a strange double play when Arizona’s Eric Byrnes was called for interference when his backswing apparently struck catcher Geovany Soto. Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his sixth save in nine chances.

Dan Haren (4-2), yielded two runs and five hits in seven innings.



Rockies 4, Padres 2

SAN DIEGO—Not even reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy could bail out the staggering San Diego Padres.

Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe hit consecutive bases-loaded singles off Peavy (4-2) in the sixth inning Friday night and Colorado sent the Padres to their 18th loss in 22 games.

The Padres’ fifth straight loss came hours after they released struggling center fielder Jim Edmonds. San Diego (12-24) has the worst record in the majors.

Colorado’s Aaron Cook (6-1) won his sixth straight start, combining with two relieves on a four-hitter. Matt Holliday homered for the defending NL champion Rockies, who won their third straight after losing 13 of 16.

Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth for his fourth save in six chances.



Pirates 3, Braves 2

PITTSBURGH—Freddy Sanchez singled home Brian Bixler with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to end Atlanta’s six-game winning streak.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and is 9-for-17 in four games since being moved to the top of the Pirates’ lineup.

With one out in the ninth, Jose Bautista singled off Atlanta reliever Jeff Bennett (0-2). Bixler hit into a forceout at second, and Doug Mientkiewicz singled and later took second on defensive indifference before singled up the middle to give the Pirates their fourth straight win.

John Grabow (2-1) struck out one in a scoreless ninth.

Brian McCann went 3-for-3 and Jeff Francoeur drove in two runs for Atlanta.



Marlins 7, Nationals 3

WASHINGTON—Ricky Nolasco joined first-place Florida’s win parade with six strong innings, and Luis Gonzalez passed the 1,400 career RBIs mark with a bases-loaded double.

Nolasco (2-3) broke a personal three-game losing streak, getting his first win in nearly a month, as the Marlins ran their winning streak to a season-high five games. Florida (21-14) is seven games over .500 for the first time since September 2005.

The Marlins blew the game open with a four-run sixth, taking advantage of a sudden spate of wildness from Nationals starter Tim Redding (4-3). Redding walked three of the last six batters he faced, including Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla to load the bases before Gonzalez doubled off Jesus Colome.