Cardinals capture 8th straight

The Braves blanked the Phillies, while the Dodgers edged the Astros.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS -- Jim Edmonds homered for the fourth straight game and Jeff Suppan worked six strong innings, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Saturday for their eighth consecutive victory.
Ray Lankford, Hector Luna and So Taguchi drove in a run apiece for the NL Central leaders, who are 8-0 on the homestand with one game to go before the All-Star break and have won 10 straight at home overall.
The Cardinals are 31-8 against the Cubs at Busch Stadium since 2000 and have an NL-best 54 victories.
Sammy Sosa was 2-for-4 with a homer and double, but fouled out against Jason Isringhausen with a runner on in the eighth and the Cardinals leading 3-2 when catcher Mike Matheny reached into the seats to make the grab.
CHICAGOST. LOUIS
abrhbiabrhbi
TWalkr 2b3010Wmack 2b4130
Grdzln 2b1000Lnkfrd lf3111
Harris 3b3010Isrnghs p1000
CPttson cf4000Pujols 1b4000
SSosa rf4221Rolen 3b4010
Alou lf4000Edmnd cf3222
DeLee 1b4011Cedeno rf2000
Barrett c3020RSndrs rf1000
REMtiz ss1000Luna ss4111
ROrdnz ss1000Mtheny c4010
Macias ph1000Suppan p2000
Clment p2000MAndn ph1000
Godwin ph1000Calero p0000
Frnswr p0000King p0000
Rusch p0000Tvarez p0000
Beltran p0000Kline p0000
Tguchi lf1011
Totals32272Totals345105
Chicago010001000--2
St. Louis30000002x--5
E--Clement (1). DP--St. Louis 1. LOB--Chicago 6, St. Louis 9. 2B--SSosa (12), DeLee (29), Womack (18), Luna (3). HR--SSosa (15), Edmonds (20). SB--Cedeno (3). S--ROrdonez.
IPHRERBBSO
Chicago
Clement L,7-8663345
Farnsworth100001
Rusch2-342201
Beltran1-300001
St. Louis
Suppan W,8-5672205
Calero1-300010
King1-300000
Tavarez1-300010
Kline1-300000
Isrnghs S,211 2-300001
Tavarez pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. WP--Clement. Umpires--Home, Paul Schrieber; First, Jerry Meals; Second, Ed Montague; Third, Derryl Cousins. T--3:12. A--50,569.
Braves 4, Phillies 0
PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Hampton pitched eight shutout innings and rookie Charles Thomas homered twice for Atlanta.
Hampton (4-8) allowed five hits and struck out five, and walked two. It was his longest outing since throwing a complete game in a loss to Arizona on May 18. Hampton beat Philadelphia for the first time since Sept. 23, 2000, when he was a member of the New York Mets.
A day after blowing his second save of the season, John Smoltz pitched a perfect ninth in a non-save situation.
Phillies starter Paul Abbott (0-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and just two runs on solo homers by Thomas and Rafael Furcal.
ATLANTAPHILA
abrhbiabrhbi
Furcal ss4111Rollins ss4000
NGreen 2b4010Planco 2b3010
JDrew rf3010BAbreu rf4010
CJones 3b3000Thome 1b4010
JEstda c4000Burrell lf3000
Lroche 1b3110DaBell 3b4000
AJones cf4000Pratt c3010
Thmas lf4233Ledee ph1000
Hmptn p3000Glnville cf3010
DeRosa ph1000PAbbtt p2000
Smoltz p0000Crmier p0000
ToPerz ph1000
Geary p0000
BPowll p0000
Totals33474Totals32050
Atlanta000020200--4
Philadelphia000000000--0
E--Laroche (3). DP--Philadelphia 1. LOB--Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 7. HR--Furcal (10), Thomas 2 (3). SB--BAbreu (19).
IPHRERBBSO
Atlanta
Hampton W,4-8850025
Smoltz100001
Philadelphia
PAbbott L,0-3652212
Cormier112211
Geary110012
BPowell100001
Umpires--Home, Larry Poncino; First, Rob Drake; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Bruce Dreckman. T--2:29. A--44,307.
Dodgers 3, Astros 1
LOS ANGELES -- Wilson Alvarez outpitched Roger Clemens, and Paul Lo Duca hit a three-run homer to lead Los Angeles.
Alvarez (3-3), making his second spot start since Hideo Nomo went on the disabled list, allowed a run and three hits in six-plus innings.
Eric Gagne pitched two perfect innings -- including striking out Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman and Jeff Kent in the ninth -- for his 23rd save this season, and 86th in his last 87 attempts. He also broke Jeff Shaw's club record for saves with his 130th.
HOUSTONLOS ANGELES
abrhbiabrhbi
Biggio lf4000DRbrts lf3110
Ensbrg 3b4000Izturis ss4110
Bgwell 1b3100L Duca c3123
Brkmn rf4020Brdley cf3000
JKent 2b3010ShGren 1b4000
Lane cf2000Werth rf3000
CBeltrn cf1000Vntura 3b3000
AEvrtt ss2000Cora 2b3000
Lamb 3b0001WAlvrz p2010
Asmus c2000Mota p0000
Clmens p2000Grbwsk ph1000
OPlmro ph1000Gagne p0000
Wthers p0000
Totals28131Totals29353
Houston000000100--1
Los Angeles00000300x--3
E--Ausmus (4). DP--Los Angeles 1. LOB--Houston 4, Los Angeles 5. 2B--Berkman (23), Izturis (14), Lo Duca (15). HR--Lo Duca (8). SB--DRoberts 2 (28), Bradley (10). SF--Lamb.
IPHRERBBSO
Houston
Clemens L,10-3743328
Weathers110011
Los Angeles
WAlvarez W,3-3631123
Mota100000
Gagne S,23200003
WAlvarez pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. HBP--by Mota (JKent). Umpires--Home, Hunter Wendelstedt; First, Mike Winters; Second, Tim Timmons; Third, Bruce Froemming. T--2:40. A--46,321.
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