John Smoltz beat the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time in more than eight years, and Troy Tulowitzki helped the Colorado Rockies get a rare win in Ohio.
Smoltz gave up six hits in seven innings, and the Atlanta Braves beat Los Angeles 4-0 on Friday night. He escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fourth on the way to his first win over the Dodgers since April 19, 1999.
Less than two weeks from his 40th birthday, Smoltz (4-1) picked up his 197th career win.
“I’m not going to go out there and strike out guys like I did in years past,” Smoltz said. “But I’m going to be on the attack. Hopefully what I’ve learned to do is not give in to certain circumstances.”
Brian McCann returned to the lineup with a two-run double, and Jeff Francoeur drove in Atlanta’s other runs with a fifth-inning single.
Tulowitzki’s two-out single snapped an 11th-inning tie and gave the Rockies a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, Colorado’s first victory in the state in nearly three years. The Rockies were 0-12 in Ohio since a 10-8 win at Cleveland on June 25, 2004.
Colorado was also 0-9 at Cincinnati since an 8-3 win on May 18, 2004.
“It feels like every time we come here, it goes extra innings and we never seem to win those,” said Todd Helton, who hit a two-run homer.
In other NL games Friday night, it was: Chicago 6, Washington 4; Florida 5, San Diego 4; Milwaukee 10, Pittsburgh 0; St. Louis 3, Houston 2; New York 5, Arizona 3; and San Francisco 6, Philadelphia 2.
At Atlanta, the Dodgers’ Brett Tomko (0-3) surrendered a season-high six walks and went to three balls on two other hitters in 4 2-3 innings.
In the top of the first, Edgar Renteria reached on a one-out single – extending his hitting streak to 13 games – and Chipper Jones walked. One out later, McCann lined an outside pitch into the left-field corner for an opposite-field double.
Just like that, Smoltz had a two-run lead and felt it was his game to lose.
“That’s the greatest feeling in the world for a starting pitcher,” Smoltz said.
The NL West-leading Dodgers had a chance to get back in the game when they loaded the bases to start the fourth. However, Andre Ethier popped to shortstop, former Brave Wilson Betemit struck out swinging and Ramon Martinez flied to left.
Smoltz’s career mark against Los Angeles improved to 16-13. He had few chances for wins against them while missing all of 2000 recovering from elbow surgery, then spending three-plus seasons as the closer.
Colorado overcame Ken Griffey Jr.’s 567th career homer and another bullpen meltdown.
“It’s encouraging, but we’ll see how we do tomorrow,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “You’ve got to build some momentum. One game can help, but you’ve got to back it up with something good tomorrow.”
Willy Taveras doubled with two outs in the 11th off left-hander Mike Stanton (1-2). Tulowitzki, who turned an unassisted triple play against Atlanta on Sunday, then drove him home with a single to right off David Weathers.
Denny Bautista (2-0) pitched one scoreless inning and Brian Fuentes got three outs for his sixth save.
Griffey’s solo shot in the fifth put Cincinnati ahead 4-2 until the Rockies pulled ahead in the top of the seventh with the help of third baseman Edwin Encarnacion’s throwing error.
Rockies reliever Jeremy Affeldt gave up Brandon Phillips’ run-scoring single that tied it at 5 in the bottom of the seventh.
Cubs 6, Nationals 4
Derrek Lee homered, Alfonso Soriano had a key RBI double before scoring the go-ahead run against his former team to help host Chicago rally from four runs down.
Carlos Zambrano (3-2) pitched six innings, giving up a three-run homer to Austin Kearns in a four-run first, and Ryan Dempster pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Nationals starter Jason Bergmann (0-3) allowed eight hits and five runs in six innings.
Marlins 5, Padres 4
Josh Willingham and Joe Borchard hit consecutive home runs off reliever Scott Linebrink (1-1) to start the eighth for host Florida.
Florida’s Hanley Ramirez tied a career high with four hits to raise his season average to .350. Taylor Tankersley (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings, and Henry Owens followed with a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
Cardinals 3, Astros 2
Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth inning, and St. Louis ended a five-game losing streak in its first home game since relief pitcher Josh Hancock’s fatal accident.
The team honored him with a video montage and put his initials and uniform number in a black circle against the bullpen wall not far from an identical remembrance of Darryl Kile, who died in 2002.
Adam Wainwright (2-2) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings in his strongest outing since winning at Houston on April 6.
Pujols’ two-run double off Woody Williams (0-5) put the Cardinals ahead 3-2 in the fifth. Pujols is 18-for-44 (.409) with two homers and eight RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak.
Brewers 10, Pirates 0
J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder and Johnny Estrada all homered, and Claudio Vargas (3-0) gave up four singles in six innings to lead host Milwaukee.
Hardy had four hits to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, and drove in three runs. Fielder had four RBIs and Rickie Weeks had three hits and scored three runs.
Paul Maholm (1-4) gave up three runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings.
Mets 5, Diamondbacks 3
Paul Lo Duca and Julio Franco homered against Randy Johnson to lead visiting New York.
John Maine (5-0) pitched six innings for the Mets, who won their 12th straight at Chase Field, extending their club record for consecutive victories in a road ballpark. Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Johnson (0-2) gave up five runs and nine hits in seven innings.
Giants 6, Phillies 2
Pinch-hitter Eliezer Alfonzo hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh that put host San Francisco ahead with its first runs of the game, and the Giants scored three more in the eighth.
Matt Morris (4-1) pitched seven innings and beat the Phillies for the second straight year.
Jamie Moyer (3-2), staked to a 2-0 lead in the first, had been rolling until running into trouble in the seventh. Randy Winn added a two-run single in the eighth and Durham followed with an RBI single.
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