NEW YORK—So Taguchi and Jimmy Rollins had two-run doubles in a six-run ninth, and Philadelphia rallied against New York’s makeshift bullpen for an 8-6 victory Tuesday night, taking over first place in the NL East.

After Johan Santana pitched eight dominant innings, the Mets had to make do without closer Billy Wagner, who had an MRI on his shoulder earlier Tuesday.

Dauner Sanchez gave up three straight hits to start the ninth. Joe Smith (1-2) relieved and Carlos Ruiz drove in a run with a high bouncer that shortstop Jose Reyes fielded but he missed stepping on second base.

Pedro Feliciano came on and Taguchi, a pinch-hitter, stroked a two-run double to tie it. Rollins followed with a double that made it 7-5.

Chad Durbin (3-2) pitched a perfect eighth, and Brad Lidge gave up a run in the ninth but finished for his 22nd save in as many chances.

The Mets took a 5-1 lead against Joe Blanton, making his first start since being acquired from Oakland last week, on Carlos Delgado’s 450th career homer, a two-run shot, Raul Castro’s two-run homer and David Wright’s RBI double in the second.



Pirates 8, Astros 2

HOUSTON—Paul Maholm shut down the Astros for eight innings, and Freddy Sanchez homered for the second straight game to lift Pittsburgh past Houston.

Ryan Doumit hit a three-run homer and Nate McLouth added a solo shot as the Pirates beat the Astros for the sixth time in eight meetings.

Maholm (7-6) allowed a run on five hits, all singles, and struck out five to win for the fifth time in six decisions. He improved to 2-5 on the road this season.

Sanchez, who had a three-run, inside-the-park homer in Monday’s 9-3 win, went 3-for-5 with two more RBIs. The Pirates have scored 17 runs in two games against the Astros after scoring only 16 in their previous five, all losses.

Maholm was perfect through 3 1-3 innings until Michael Bourn singled in the fourth.

The 25-year-old left-hander retired seven in a row before Lance Berkman led off the Houston seventh with a single. Berkman scored the Astros’ first run on Hunter Pence’s two-out single.

Sean Burnett gave up Ty Wigginton’s RBI single in relief of Maholm in the ninth.



Brewers 4, Cardinals 3

ST. LOUIS—Bill Hall homered to snap a late-inning tie for the second straight game and Milwaukee won its sixth straight.

Ryan Ludwick hit the longest home run at 3-year-old Busch Stadium for the Cardinals, who have lost two straight after winning five in a row. Kyle Lohse went eight innings but squandered a three-run lead and missed a chance to win his 10th straight decision.

The Brewers bunched all but one of their seven hits off the right-hander in the seventh and eighth. They tied the game with two runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Rickie Weeks and a run-scoring single by J.J. Hardy.

Hall, whose 10th-inning homer off Ryan Franklin ignited a three-run rally in a 6-3 victory on Monday, hit his 14th homer with one in the ninth off Kyle McClellan (2-5).

Brian Shouse (4-1) retired the side in order in the eighth and Salomon Torres got three outs for his 18th save.



Marlins 4, Braves 0

MIAMI—Rick VandenHurk and three relievers combined on a one-hitter, and Mike Jacobs hit a three-run homer for Florida.

VandenHurk (1-1), recalled Monday from Double-A Carolina, pitched five hitless innings for his first win since Aug. 23. He walked five and left the game after throwing 94 pitches.

Chipper Jones led off the sixth with a single off Joe Nelson, who retired the next three batters, Renyel Pinto pitched two perfect innings, and Matt Lindstrom pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Braves were one-hit for the second time in 15 days. It happened July 7 against Hiroki Kuroda of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Charlie Morton (2-3) walked Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla in the fourth before Jacobs hit his 20th homer.



Reds 4, Padres 3, 11 innings

CINCINNATI—Jeff Keppinger’s one-out double in the 11th sent Cincinnati to a rare victory in a game started by San Diego’s Jake Peavy.

Jay Bruce started the rally with a one-out single off Bryan Corey (1-3). Keppinger doubled for Cincinnati’s 10th walkoff win, most in the majors.

Gary Majewski (1-0), the fifth Cincinnati pitcher. retired the three batters he faced in the 11th.

San Diego’s Edgar Gonzalez had three hits, including an RBI single off Johnny Cueto, for his sixth straight multihit game.

Peavy, the reigning Cy Young winner, is 6-0 in nine career starts against the Reds with a 2.31 ERA.