CHICAGO: Patrick Corbin became the major leagues’ first nine-game winner, laboring through six innings Sunday in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 8-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Corbin (9-0) allowed four runs and six hits, tying the team record for consecutive wins at the start of the season, set by Brandon Webb in 2008. The Diamondbacks are 11-0 in his starts.
He hit two batters and walked two in a 33-pitch first inning, when he walked Dioner Navarro with the bases loaded. Corbin minimized the damaged by retiring Cody Ransom on an inning-ending flyout to the warning track in center.
Brad Ziegler, David Hernandez and Heath Bell combined for hitless relief.
Braves 6 Nationals 3: In Atlanta, B.J. Upton and Ramiro Pena hit home runs and Paul Maholm won his third straight decision.
The Braves won two of three from the Nationals and lead Washington by 6.5 games — the biggest advantage for any first-place team in the majors.
The Nationals (28-29) fell below .500 for the first time since they were 13-14 on April 30. The Braves are 7-3 against Washington this season.
Ian Desmond hit a homer for Washington in the sixth inning to cut Atlanta’s lead to 4-3. Freddie Freeman answered with a bases-loaded, two-run double in the bottom of the inning.
Rockies 7 Dodgers 2: In Denver, Dexter Fowler hit two homers off fill-in starter Matt Magill and Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven effective innings.
It was the second multihomer game of the season for Fowler. Todd Helton and Michael Cuddyer added solo homers as the Rockies took two of three from Los Angeles.
De La Rosa (7-3) struggled early, but settled down as he allowed six hits and struck out five for his first career win against Los Angeles. He was 0-8 entering the game.
Pirates 5 Reds 4, 11 innings: In Pittsburgh, Travis Snider hit an RBI single with two outs in the 11th inning.
Five Pittsburgh relievers combined for 10 scoreless innings. Starter Jeanmar Gomez was removed with tightness in his right forearm after giving up four runs in the first.
Reds shortstop Zack Cozart made a throwing error on Russell Martin’s one-out grounder in the 11th. After Pedro Alvarez walked, Jordy Mercer flied out before Snider then dropped a single into right-center off Alfredo Simon (4-2).
Garrett Jones tied the game for Pittsburgh with a long two-run homer with two outs in the eighth. Jones’ drive off Jonathan Broxton cleared the right-field stands, reached the Allegheny River on the fly and was estimated at 463 feet.
Giants 4 Cardinals 2: In St. Louis, Chad Gaudin picked up a win in his first start in over three years and Brandon Belt broke a tie with a two-run pinch-hit double to help end San Francisco seven-game road losing streak.
Gaudin (1-1) went six innings in his first start since Sept. 28, 2009 as a member of the New York Yankees.
He allowed four hits and two runs, both coming on a two-run homer by David Freese in the fourth. Gaudin is temporarily replacing Ryan Vogelsong in the rotation. Vogelsong broke several bones in his right hand May 20.
Phillies 7 Brewers 5: In Philadelphia, Domonic Brown homered, tripled and drove in four runs to back up the effective pitching of Cliff Lee.
Brown also singled and had a chance for the cycle when he came up in the seventh, but walked. He had three homers and eight RBIs against the Brewers in the weekend series.
Freddy Galvis went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and Jimmy Rollins doubled and had two hits for the Phillies.
Interleague
Blue Jays 7 Padres 4, 11 innings: In San Diego, Mark DeRosa hit a go-ahead homer into the second deck in left field leading off the 11th inning and Toronto beat San Diego to avoid a three-game sweep.
It was the second extra-inning game of the series. The Padres won Friday night’s game 4-3 in 17 innings.
Blue Jays starter Ramon Ortiz left in the third inning after appearing to hurt his right elbow.
DeRosa drove a 3-1 pitch from Brad Boxberger (0-1) an estimated 428 feet, his fourth.
It was the first of five straight hits opening the three-run inning. The Blue Jays’ second run that inning came in on third baseman Chase Headley’s throwing error and Jose Bautista hit an RBI double.
