ROUNDUP Marlins subdue Astros, 5-2

Florida improved to 7-1 on its homestand with one game left.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI -- Mike Lowell hit a three-run homer and Carl Pavano held Houston without a hit until the sixth inning to help the Florida Marlins beat the Astros 5-2 Saturday night.
The Marlins improved to 7-1 on their homestand with one game left. The Astros lost to Florida for the first time in five meetings this season, and their lead in the NL Central was cut to one game over St. Louis.
Lowell's 30th home run came in the first inning, and teammate Alex Gonzalez hit his 13th homer in the second. Ivan Rodriguez had three hits, drove in a run, stole a base and scored once.
Pavano (8-10) retired only one batter after giving up his first hit to Craig Biggio but won for only the second time in six starts. He allowed three hits and two runs in 51/3 innings.
Three Marlins relievers combined to extend the bullpen's scoreless streak to 161/3 innings over the past six games. Ugueth Urbina pitched around an error in the eighth, and Braden Looper followed with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save in 26 chances.
Jeriome Robertson (10-5) allowed six hits and five runs in four-plus innings. The rookie has lost consecutive decisions for the first time this season.
The Marlins improved to 19-9 against left-handed starters, with five consecutive victories.
Florida gave the crowd of 25,206 something to cheer about early. With one out in the first, Luis Castillo walked, Rodriguez singled off the glove of third baseman Morgan Ensberg, and Lowell homered on a 2-0 pitch.
Pavano threw 75 pitches before the Astros got a hit -- a single by Biggio leading off the sixth. Ensberg also singled, and Jeff Bagwell hit a sacrifice fly, with Juan Pierre making a diving catch in center field.
Shortstop Gonzalez looked at second base after fielding a routine grounder and then held the ball, allowing Richard Hidalgo to reach on a fielder's choice as a run scored. Michael Tejera escape further damage by retiring the next two batters.
HOUSTONFLORIDA
abrhbiabrhbi
Biggio cf4110Pierre cf3100
Ensbrg 3b4110LCstillo 2b3110
Bgwell 1b2001IRdrgz c4131
Brkmn lf4010Lowell 3b4113
Hidalgo rf3001JEcrcn rf4000
Blum 2b2000DeLee 1b4020
JKent 2b2000Cbrera lf3000
Zaun c4000AGnzlz ss3111
AEvrtt ss4000Pavano p2000
Rbrtsn p1000Tejera p1000
DMiceli p0000Urbina p0000
Brntlett ph1000Looper p0000
Stone p0000
Sarloos p0000
Totals31232Totals31585
Houston000002000--2
Florida31001000x--5
E--Bagwell (5), Lowell (8), Cabrera (3). DP--Houston 2, Florida 1. LOB--Houston 6, Florida 6. 2B--Berkman (22), IRodriguez (24). HR--Lowell (30), AGonzalez (13). SB--IRodriguez (10), Lowell (3), DeLee (17). SF--Bagwell.
IPHRERBBSO
Houston
Robertson L,10-5465532
DMiceli210000
Stone100000
Saarloos110010
Florida
Pavano W,8-105 1-332233
Tejera1 2-300002
Urbina100002
Looper S,22100000
Robertson pitched to 2 batters in the 5th. Umpires--Home, Terry Craft; First, Jay Klemm; Second, Marty Foster; Third, Fieldin Culbreth. T--2:35. A--25,206.
Padres 6, Phillies 4, 1st game
PHILADELPHIA -- Jake Peavy allowed two hits over seven shutout innings, and Phil Nevin homered and drove in four runs for San Diego in the first game of a doubleheader.
The NL wild card-leading Phillies had their four-game winning streak stopped. It was the first scheduled doubleheader at Veterans Stadium since Aug. 10, 1985, against St. Louis. The Phillies are moving into a new ballpark next season.
Nevin went 2-for-4 and has hit safely in seven of nine games since coming off the disabled list July 23. He had been sidelined since March 7 after surgery on his left shoulder.
Peavy (9-8) was sharp en route to his first win since June 28. He allowed Marlon Byrd's double in the first inning and Placido Polanco's single in the third before giving way to the bullpen in the eighth. Peavy walked four and struck out five, throwing 114 pitches.
SAN DIEGOPHILA
abrhbiabrhbi
Mathws cf4100Byrd cf5010
Brrghs 3b5120Planco 2b4020
Loretta 2b4210Thome 1b3000
Nevin 1b4124BAbreu rf3110
Hansen 1b0000Lbrthal c4110
White lf3010Huston 3b3011
Bchnan rf3100Burrell lf3000
Bennett c2000Wndell p0000
Merloni ss4010ToPerz ph1100
Peavy p3000Rollins ss4111
Klesko ph1000Wolf p0000
Hckmn p0000Punto ph1000
MMtws p0000MWlms p0000
Wtsick p0000Mchels lf1000
Ledee ph0001
Totals33674Totals32473
San Diego210030000--6
Philadelphia000000004--4
E--Witasick (1), BAbreu (3), Rollins (8). DP--San Diego 1, Philadelphia 1. LOB--San Diego 6, Philadelphia 6. 2B--Burroughs (21), Byrd (19). HR--Nevin (3). SB--Buchanan (5), Merloni (2). SF--Ledee.
IPHRERBBSO
San Diego
Peavy W,9-8720045
Hackman110000
MMatthews033300
Witasick111001
Philadelphia
Wolf L,11-6556453
MiWilliams210002
Wendell210010
MMatthews pitched to 3 batters in the 9th. WP--Wolf. Umpires--Home, Tim Timmons; First, Chris Guccione; Second, Bill Hohn; Third, Adam Dowdy. T--2:52.
Expos 7, Brewers 1
MONTREAL -- Javier Vazquez fanned 11 to pass 1,000 career strikeouts, and also hit a two-run single to lead Montreal.
With a crowd of 22,280 on hand as the Expos honored new Hall of Famer Gary Carter, Vazquez (9-7) allowed only an unearned run in his second complete game of the season.
Vazquez scattered eight hits and walked none. He reached double digits in strikeouts for the sixth time in 24 starts this year and raised his season total to 171, second in the NL to Chicago's Kerry Wood.
MILWAUKEEMONTREAL
abrhbiabrhbi
EYong 2b4100EChvez cf5112
Pdsdnk cf4020Carroll 3b4020
Jenkins lf4011OCbera ss3000
Sexson 1b4030VGrero rf4000
Vn Wal rf4000Wlkrsn lf1100
KGintr 3b4010WCdero 1b4112
EddPrz c3000Schndr c4110
Clayton ss3010HMateo 2b1200
Mnning p1000JVzqez p3112
Burba p1000
Helms ph1000
LVzcno p0000
Kschnk p0000
Totals33181Totals29766
Milwaukee000001000--1
Montreal02050000x--7
E--Clayton (12), Carroll (4). DP--Milwaukee 1, Montreal 3. LOB--Milwaukee 5, Montreal 6. 2B--Sexson (15), Schneider (15). 3B--EnChavez (5). HR--WCordero (12). S--JVazquez.
IPHRERBBSO
Milwaukee
Manning L,0-1447651
Burba210001
LVizcaino110011
Kieschnick100011
Montreal
JVazquez W,9-79810011
WP--Manning 2, LVizcaino, Kieschnick. Balk--JVazquez. Umpires--Home, Jim Reynolds; First, Laz Diaz; Second, Jim Joyce; Third, James Hoye. T--2:23. A--22,180.