Rafael Furcal and Skip Schumaker aren’t known for their power strokes at the plate. They usually bat leadoff and hurt teams with their hustle and speed.
Their reputations may change if they have more games like they did Friday night.
Furcal had three hits, including a three-run homer in a seven-run sixth inning, and the Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-6 for their seventh straight win.
“When you go up and it’s going well, anything can happen,” Furcal said. “You look forward to every at-bat.”
Schumaker hit a game-winning two-run homer off Chad Fox (0-1) in the 11th inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. A career extra outfielder before this year, he was floored by the mob scene that met him at home plate.
“I was just happy that I got enough of it to win the game,” Schumaker said. “It was kind of icing on the cake when it hit off the fence and over. I was pretty pumped up.”
Three players known for their power put on a show in Houston, where Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee hit consecutive home runs in a four-run sixth inning for the Astros against Milwaukee. Houston went on to win 7-4.
In other NL games, it was: New York Mets 7, Arizona 2; Atlanta 2, Cincinnati 0; Philadelphia 6, San Francisco 5 in 10 innings; Florida 6, San Diego 4; and Pittsburgh 11, Washington 4.
At St. Louis, the Cubs’ outfield was playing in with a runner on third and one out when Schumaker hit his second homer of the season and fifth of his career. He has the go-ahead hit in three of the team’s last seven victories.
“That was the best time for me in the big leagues by far,” Schumaker said. “I thought the walk-off a couple of days ago was a good feeling but this is incredible. I’m at a loss for words.”
Ron Villone (1-0) picked up his first victory since July 2, 2006, for the Yankees.
At Denver, Brad Penny (5-2) went five innings, allowing three runs and three hits while striking out just one and walking a season-high four. Still, Penny once again got the better of the Rockies, improving to 14-2 in 23 career starts.
“It didn’t look like he was getting into it until the last couple of innings,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “But he got the win.”
Jeff Francis (0-3) gave up four runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings for Colorado.
Mets 7, Diamondbacks 2
At Phoenix, Jose Reyes had four hits for New York and was thrown out at the plate in the eighth inning while trying to complete the cycle with an inside-the-park homer.
Reyes had two triples and scored three times. He motored around the bases after hitting a long drive off the center-field wall in the eighth but was easily cut down at home.
Ryan Church and David Wright homered for the Mets, who have won four of five.
John Maine (3-2) scattered six hits over six innings, allowing two runs.
The Mets pushed across three in the first and one in the second against Micah Owings (4-1).
Braves 2, Reds 0
Tim Hudson pitched his 11th career shutout and Brian McCann hit a two-run homer to help the Braves end a season-high four-game losing streak.
Hudson (4-2) gave up just three hits, struck out 10 and walked none. McCann’s sixth homer of the season came in the fourth off Edinson Volquez (4-1), sending the visiting Reds to their third straight loss.
With just one victory in his previous three starts, Hudson gave the Braves’ ailing pitching staff a boost after John Smoltz said before the game that he’s likely to return from the disabled list as Atlanta’s closer instead of rejoining the rotation.
Phillies 6, Giants 5, 10 innings
Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Phillies to the win.
Aaron Rowand gave the Giants a one-run lead with a solo shot leading off the top of the inning, but Philadelphia rallied against Brian Wilson (0-1).
Chase Utley singled with one out. After Ryan Howard was ejected after striking out, Burrell hit a 3-2 pitch into the left-field seats, sending the crowd into a frenzy on a chilly night.
Utley and Pedro Feliz each hit two-run homers for Philadelphia, which has won nine of 12.
Playing his first game against his former team, Rowand got a standing ovation his first time up. Fans booed as he rounded the bases after connecting off J.C. Romero (2-0) in the 10th.
Astros 7, Brewers 4
Tejada, Berkman and Lee went deep, and Hunter Pence added a pair of home runs for Houston.
Pence connected in the fifth and the eighth, and Roy Oswalt (3-3) evened his record after a shaky start to the season by allowing six hits and three earned runs in six innings.
The Astros trailed 4-2 before Tejada’s two-run shot to left off Carlos Villanueva (1-3) with one out in the sixth. Berkman followed with his home run to almost the exact same spot, and after a brief conference on the mound, Lee chased Villanueva with his drive.
Marlins 6, Padres 4
At Miami, Dan Uggla hit two home runs and Mark Hendrickson pitched seven effective innings to lead Florida to the win.
Uggla’s second homer, a three-run shot off Justin Germano (0-3) that traveled over the left-field scoreboard, was followed by a homer from Luis Gonzalez. It was the third time the Marlins hit back-to-back home runs this season.
Hendrickson (5-1) allowed three runs and five hits for the Marlins, who ended a three-game losing streak.
Khalil Greene hit a two-run homer for San Diego, which has lost 13 of 16 and four of its last five games.
Kevin Gregg allowed a run in the ninth before finishing for his fifth save in six opportunities.
Pirates 11, Nationals 4
Jose Bautista homered twice and drove in four runs to help Pittsburgh end Washington’s winning streak at a season-high four games.
The game was delayed 25 minutes in the bottom of the fourth when rows of lights along the left- and right-field lines went dark. Umpires huddled with Nationals Park operations staff before the teams retreated to their dugouts to wait out the power failure.
Damaso Marte (2-0) pitched two hitless innings for the Pirates.
Pittsburgh scored six runs in the third, sending nine men to the plate and breaking John Lannan’s scoreless streak at a Nationals-record 21 innings.
Lannan (2-3) left after allowing six runs – five earned – and six hits in three innings.
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