NATIONAL LEAGUE Another Astros loss to Brewers ends Houston's playoff hopes

The Giants and Braves both lost in their home-field advantage race.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros left Minute Maid Park on Saturday still in the NL Central race, at least mathematically. A few hours later, their dreams for a division title disappeared.
The Astros lost to last-place Milwaukee for the second straight day, falling 5-2 Saturday. Houston began the day a half-game behind Chicago, which swept Pittsburgh in a doubleheader and won its first division title since 1989.
"This whole week has been a playoff atmosphere because every game, every pitch has meant something," Astros catcher Brad Ausmus said after Houston lost. "You're a little drained at the end of each game, but certainly we've been ready at the start. We just didn't end up on top the last two games."
The loss sent the Astros wondering what went wrong down the stretch.
"I guess if I knew what happened, we'd have done something to change it," Jeff Kent said. "The Cubbies have played well lately and we haven't. We've been just running on empty."
Leading 2-1 to start the sixth, the Brewers got five straight hits off Ron Villone (6-6) and Brad Lidge in a three-run inning that put Milwaukee in control.
Wes Helms hit a two-out home run, his 23rd. After consecutive singles by Eddie Perez, Royce Clayton and Wes Obermueller (2-5), Scott Podsednik doubled off the left-field wall and two more runs scored for a 5-1 lead.
MILWAUKEEHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Pdsdnk cf5133Biggio cf5110
Hall 2b4011Ensbrg 3b4121
BClark rf4000Bgwell 1b4000
Sexson 1b4000JKent 2b4021
MSmith lf3000Brkmn lf4020
Conti rf1000Hidalgo rf4000
Helms 3b3111Asmus c4020
EddPrz c4110AEvrtt ss4010
Clayton ss4220Villone p2000
Obrmlr p3010Lidge p0000
Weeks ph1000JVzcno ph1000
Kolb p0000Dotel p0000
BWgnr p0000
Merced ph1000
Totals36595Totals372102
Milwaukee002003000--5
Houston100000100--2
E--Sexson (11), MSmith (1), AEverett (17). DP--Milwaukee 2. LOB--Milwaukee 6, Houston 8. 2B--Podsednik 2 (28), Clayton (16), Berkman (35). 3B--Podsednik (8). HR--Helms (23), Ensberg (25). SB--AEverett (8).
IPHRERBBSO
Milwaukee
Obrmlr W,2-58102202
Kolb S,21100001
Houston
Villone L,6-65 2-385526
Lidge1-310001
Dotel200002
BWagner100001
Umpires--Home, Ron Kulpa; First, Bruce Froemming; Second, Mike Winters; Third, Doug Eddings. T--2:29. A--38,627.
Dodgers 5, Giants 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Rookie Edwin Jackson pitched six scoreless innings, working around eight walks as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 5-0 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
The teams had their game April 12 postponed because of rain, forcing them to play a four-game series in the season's final weekend.
Jackson (2-1) gave up two hits and struck out seven. He outpitched fellow rookie Jerome Williams (7-5), who is likely to be one of San Francisco's playoff starters next week in the first round against Florida.
Guillermo Mota, Tom Martin and Eric Gagne completed the two-hit shutout, the Dodgers' 17th of the season.
Robin Ventura hit an RBI double in the first and the Dodgers tagged Tim Worrell for four runs in the ninth -- Adrian Beltre and Jolbert Cabrera had RBI singles and Cesar Izturis hit a two-run single.
Barry Bonds, who hit career homer No. 658 in Friday's 10-1 win, went 0-for-2 with an intentional walk. He was plunked in the right shoulder by Jackson in his first at-bat, drawing loud boos from the sellout crowd of 42,192.
Jackson intentionally walked Bonds in the third after Jeffrey Hammonds' double to load the bases. Jose Cruz Jr. and Benito Santiago each struck out.
Bonds struck out in the fifth on a 93 mph fastball on full-count and again in the eighth.
LOS ANGELESSAN FRAN
abrhbiabrhbi
DRbrts cf5000EYong 2b3000
L Duca c4000Snow 1b2000
ShGren rf2200Hmnds cf4010
Vntura 1b4121Bonds lf2000
Beltre 3b3111JoCruz rf2000
Burnitz lf4110BStiago c4010
Gagne p0000Alfonzo 3b1000
Cora 2b4010NPerez ss4000
Izturis ss4012JeWms p2000
Jckson p2000Chrstns p0000
Mota p0000Drham ph1000
Hndley ph1000Herges p0000
Ruan pr0000Worrell p0000
TMartn p0000Zerbe p0000
Qantrill p0000Glrrga ph1000
JoCbra lf1011
Totals34575Totals26020
Los Angeles100000004--5
San Francisco000000000--0
DP--Los Angeles 2. LOB--Los Angeles 5, San Francisco 9. 2B--Ventura (5), Hammonds (12). S--Alfonzo.
IPHRERBBSO
Los Angeles
Jackson W,2-1620087
Mota100001
TMartin1-300001
Quantrill2-300000
Gagne100001
San Francisco
JeWilliams L,7-5511113
Christiansen100001
Herges210001
Worrell2-354410
Zerbe1-300000
HBP--by Jackson (Bonds), by JeWilliams (Beltre). WP--Jackson. Umpires--Home, Steve Rippley; First, Jack Samuels; Second, Jerry Meals; Third, Chris Guccione. T--2:44. A--42,192.
Phillies 7, Braves 6, 10 innings
PHILADELPHIA -- Jim Thome hit two homers to take the league lead with 47 and scored the winning run in the 10th inning in the next-to-last game at Veterans Stadium.
Javy Lopez hit his major league-record 42nd homer as a catcher this season, and Julio Franco and Gary Sheffield also went deep for the Braves, who lost ground in their pursuit of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Atlanta had a one-and-a-half game lead over San Francisco for the NL's best record before the Giants' night game against the Dodgers.
The Phillies snapped a six-game losing streak by rallying to tie the game in the ninth against closer John Smoltz, who had converted 45 of 48 save chances this season.
Then Thome led off the 10th with a double off Ray King (3-4). He moved to third when Pat Burrell lined out to right off Trey Hodges and scored on Chase Utley's RBI single. Utley hit a sharp grounder off the glove of shortstop Jesse Garcia, who dove to his left, trying to make the grab.
ATLANTAPHILA
abrhbiabrhbi
Furcal ss4011Byrd cf4020
JGarca ss1011Rollins ss5121
DeRosa 2b5000BAbreu rf5011
Shffield rf3221Crmier p0000
Hssmn lf1000Lbrthal c5010
CJones lf2000Thome 1b5332
Rynlds p0000Burrell lf4000
MFrco ph1000Utley 2b4121
Holmes p0000ToPerz 3b4111
Bong p0000Tlmaco p0000
JEstda c2000Dckwrt p1000
AJones cf2011Ledee ph1000
Lngrhn cf3010Madson p0000
JvLopz c1111Stinnett ph1010
Blanco c2000Mchado pr0000
RHrndz p0000Geary p0000
Grybsk p0000Mchels rf1110
MGiles ph1000
Cnnane p0000
Smoltz p0000
King p0000
Hodges p0000
JuFrco 1b4221
Castilla 3b4110
Hmptn p1000
Bragg lf3000
Totals406106Totals407146
Atlanta0310100010--6
Philadelphia0100200121--7
One out when winning run scored.
DP--Atlanta 2. LOB--Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 8. 2B--AJones (28), JuFranco (12), Castilla (28), Rollins (42), BAbreu (35), Thome (30), ToPerez (18). 3B--JGarcia (1). HR--Sheffield (39), JvLopez (43), JuFranco (5), Thome 2 (47). SB--Byrd (10), Rollins (20), Machado (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Atlanta
Hampton231101
Reynolds210001
Holmes2-322210
Bong1-300000
RHernandez110001
Gryboski110010
Cunnane111111
Smoltz132203
King L,3-4011100
Hodges1-310000
Philadelphia
Telemaco243303
Duckworth332201
Madson200000
Geary231101
Cormier W,8-0100000
King pitched to 1 batter in the 10th. HBP--by Telemaco (Sheffield). WP--Holmes, Telemaco. Umpires--Home, Larry Poncino; First, Jerry Crawford; Second, Brian O'Nora; Third, Phil Cuzzi. T--3:03. A--58,303.
Mets 9, Marlins 3
MIAMI -- A day after Florida clinched the NL wild-card spot, manager Jack McKeon used a makeshift lineup and the Marlins lost to Jae Weong Seo.
The Marlins, who had not committed an error in five games, made four miscues. The Mets ended Florida's five-game winning streak.
NEW YORKFLORIDA
abrhbiabrhbi
Cedeno rf2210Pierre cf3000
MWtsn lf2001Mrdcai ss4000
McEwg ss3111Rdmnd c4120
MGlavine 1b0000Cbrera 3b4011
JPhllps 1b4012LHarrs rf3100
Vlndia ss1100BBanks 1b3000
Wggntn 3b5131Olsen p0000
RGnzlz lf5112Looper p0000
VWilsn c5141Hlndsw ph0000
DGrcia 2b4000GWlms lf4110
Moreno p1000AFox 2b4021
Cerda p0000MRdm p1000
Rdman cf3100Tejera p0000
Seo p2000Bump p0000
JBell ph0000RCstro c2000
Scutaro 2b0100
Totals379118Totals32362
New York101000700--9
Florida000110001--3
E--DGarcia (4), Mordecai (3), AFox (3), MRedman (1). DP--Florida 2. LOB--New York 10, Florida 6. 2B--Wigginton 2 (36), VWilson (9), Redmond (7). 3B--Cedeno (4), RGonzalez (2). SB--McEwing (3), Redman (2). S--MWatson, McEwing, MRedman.
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Seo W,9-12652112
Moreno200001
Cerda111120
Florida
MRedman642015
Tejera L,3-4 1-313320
Bump1-344410
Olsen1 1-320004
Looper100010
HBP--by Bump (Scutaro), by Bump (Redman). WP--Cerda. Umpires--Home, Bill Hohn; First, Eric Cooper; Second, Tim Timmons; Third, Mike Reilly. T--3:03. A--30,204.
Reds 4, Expos 2
CINCINNATI -- Brian Reith's second chance as a starting pitcher turned out much better than his first.
Reith made his first major league start in more than two years Saturday, and he responded with five shutout innings as Cincinnati held on for a win over Montreal.
MONTREALCINCINNATI
abrhbiabrhbi
Wlkrsn cf3100Freel cf4000
Vidro 2b4010Olmedo ss4010
HMateo pr0100DJmnz 2b2110
OCbera ss4021Casey 1b4222
VGrero rf4000Brnyan 3b4122
WCdero 1b2011Ritsma p0000
Carroll pr0000WPena rf4010
Cllway lf4000Stenson lf3000
Zeile 3b3000CMiller c3000
Barrett c3010Reith p2000
LHrndz p3000Redling p1000
JCastro 3b0000
Totals30252Totals31474
Montreal000000002--2
Cincinnati20000002x--4
DP--Cincinnati 2. LOB--Montreal 4, Cincinnati 6. 2B--OCabrera (47). HR--Casey (14), Branyan (9). SB--WPena (3).
IPHRERBBSO
Montreal
LHrndz L,15-10874436
Cincinnati
Reith W,2-3520021
Riedling300002
Reitsma132210
Umpires--Home, Mark Carlson; First, Paul Nauert; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Ed Rapuano. T--2:11. A--31,199.
Cardinals 3, Diamondbacks 2
PHOENIX -- Eduardo Perez homered and Edgar Renteria became the first National League shortstop in 18 years to drive in 100 runs.
Renteria's career- and franchise-best 100th RBI came on a third-inning groundout and gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. Montreal's Hubie Brooks was the last NL shortstop to have at least 100, in 1985.
ST. LOUISARIZONA
abrhbiabrhbi
Cairo 3b4000SFinley cf5110
Tguchi cf3010Spivey 2b5000
JDrew cf2000Grace 1b3020
Pujols 1b3100Kata pr0000
EduPrz rf3111Ovrbay 1b2000
Rbnson lf0000Mndesi rf3122
Rnteria ss4111Cintron ss4030
Mrrero lf3000Butista lf3000
DeJean p0000Baerga ph0000
Edmnd cf0000Brajas c0000
Widger c4010Cunsell 3b4010
Hart 2b4021Hmck c4010
Htchck p3000Cpuano p1000
Sprngr p0000EGnzlz p0000
Kline p0000McCkn ph1000
OPlmro lf0000JoPttsn p0000
Isrnghs p0000Jose ph1000
Vllrreal p0000
LGnzlz ph1010
Totals33363Totals372112
St. Louis021000000--3
Arizona100100000--2
E--Cairo (5), Hitchcock (1). DP--St. Louis 2. LOB--St. Louis 9, Arizona 10. 2B--Grace (5), Cintron (24). HR--EduPerez (11), Mondesi (8). SB--Pujols (5), EduPerez (5), Hammock (3). S--OPalmeiro. SF--Mondesi.
IPHRERBBSO
St. Louis
Hitchcock W,5-15 1-352104
Springer2-310000
Kline1 1-320001
DeJean2-310011
Isrnghs S,21120001
Arizona
Capuano L,2-44 1-343335
EGonzalez2-300000
JoPatterson210002
Villarreal210013
HBP--by Capuano (EduPerez). WP--Hitchcock 2, Capuano. PB--Barajas. Umpires--Home, Marvin Hudson; First, Greg Gibson; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Gary Darling. T--3:09. A--39,650.