The San Francisco Giants closed within two games of Colorado in the National League wild card race by beating the Rockies 2-0 Friday. San Francisco pitcher Tim Lincecum struck out eight in eight innings to end a four-start winless stretch. Pablo Sandoval hit a solo home run in the fifth to open the scoring. He was back in the lineup after missing three straight starts, two with tightness in his right calf and then another with illness. Colorado has suffered three straight defeats in key games against NL West rivals Los Angeles and San Francisco. Phillies 4, Braves 2: In Philadelphia, Ryan Howard homered twice during a perfect night at the plate as Philadelphia beat Atlanta. Howard gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead with a homer in the second. In the fourth, he drove a two-run shot to center for his 22nd career multihomer game and fifth this season. He had a double and walked to finish 3 for 3 with three RBIs. Veteran Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer relieved after a stoppage, allowing one run in 4-1/3 innings. Reds 4, Dodgers 2: In Cincinnati, pitcher Homer Bailey gave the best performance of his career, holding the NL's top team scoreless for eight innings as Cincinnati beat Los Angeles. Bailey had a career-high seven strikeouts while going eight innings for the first time in his career. The out-of-contention Reds have won a season-high five straight. Cubs 5, Mets 2: In Chicago, Alfonso Soriano made up for several miscues in the outfield with a tie-breaking three-run homer in the eighth inning that lifted Chicago over New York. Milton Bradley, who like Soriano has been booed by frustrated Cubs fans, led off the inning with a double, his third hit. He scored on a single, tying the game 2-2. After a walk, Soriano hit an 0-2 pitch for his 20th homer of the season and first for a month. The Mets have lost six of seven. Padres 9, Marlins 5: In Miami, Will Venable had two RBI singles and Kyle Blanks added a two-run homer in San Diego's six-run second inning which set up victory over Florida. Blanks' two-run homer was a costly shot for both the Padres and Marlins. He aggravated a sore right foot as he rounded the bases, and neither he nor Florida pitcher Chris Volstad finished the inning. San Diego sent 12 batters to the plate in the second. Cardinals 3, Nationals 2: In St. Louis, John Smoltz struck out six and allowed just one run in six innings in his first home start for St. Louis, as the Cards edged Washington. Smoltz, released by Boston earlier this month after going 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA, struggled only in the third, allowing two hits and a sacrifice fly. Albert Pujols hit his 41st homer leading off the bottom of the ninth to give the Cardinals victory. It was his eighth career walkoff homer and first since 2006. In other games it was: Diamondbacks 14, Astros 7; Brewers 8, Pirates 6.
