NATIONAL LEAGUE Montreal's Vargas blanks Bucs, 3-0

He allowed just three hits in eight innings.
MONTREAL (AP) -- The Montreal Expos scored three times through the first three innings, and that was all the run support Claudio Vargas needed.
Vargas allowed three hits in eight innings to lead the Expos to a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
"He's pitched very well," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "He's had solid outings. We just haven't scored enough for him to have a better record. He's been excellent. He makes it look easy -- it's not, but he makes it look easy."
The Expos scored 10 runs in Vargas' previous five starts, but five of those came in one game -- his only win during that stretch.
Lead league in shutouts
Vargas (4-3) allowed singles to Aramis Ramirez and pitcher Jeff Suppan, and Matt Stairs' double while combining with closer Rocky Biddle on the Expos' NL-leading seventh shutout.
Recalled from Triple-A Edmonton on April 24 after Tony Armas Jr. injured a shoulder, the 24-year-old Dominican has a 1.15 ERA over his last five starts.
Edwards Guzman hit his first homer in nearly two years. His contract was purchased from Edmonton on June 7 after slugger Vladimir Guerrero was sidelined by a herniated disk.
He connected off Suppan (5-7) with one out in the third for his first homer since Aug. 9, 2001, with San Francisco at Cincinnati.
"He puts the bat on the ball and has an idea up there," Robinson said.
Vargas allowed seven hits and two runs in 71/3 innings last Wednesday in Pittsburgh, and didn't figure in the decision in a 4-3 loss in the second game of a doubleheader.
"Today, I think was the best game I threw," Vargas said. "Last time, when I pitched in Pittsburgh, they swung a lot. Today, I tried to keep the ball down and on the corners of the plate."
Longest outing of year
Acquired from Florida along with Cliff Floyd last July 11, Vargas was perfect in the first, fourth and fifth. He walked one, hit two batters with pitches and struck out two, matching his longest outing.
"He threw 93 [mph] to 96 -- that's got a lot to do with it," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He's got good stuff. He kept his breaking ball down tonight and didn't make a lot of mistakes in the middle of the plate. The young man threw a good game."
Biddle pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances.
The Expos, who won for just the third time in their last 11 games, had only three shutouts last year.
Montreal opened the scoring in the second. Ron Calloway drew a two-out walk and scored on Brian Schneider's RBI double.
After Guzman's homer made it 2-0, Orlando Cabrera tripled and scored on Jose Vidro's single to put the Expos up by three.
Lasts seven innings
Suppan allowed eight hits and three runs in seven innings, giving Pittsburgh's weary bullpen a much-needed break. In addition to the doubleheader last week against Montreal, the Pirates played consecutive 15-inning games against Cleveland on Friday and Saturday.
"We need to rest our bullpen and he certainly came up big for us," McClendon said. "Hopefully, everybody's cleaned up and they'll be ready to go."