Washington’s prized right-hander allowed a career-high six earned runs in a career-low 4 1-3 innings Tuesday night, and Florida beat the Nationals 8-2.
Dan Uggla drove in four runs with a homer and a double, and Hanley Ramirez hit two of his three doubles off Strasburg (5-3), whose ERA rose from 2.32 to 3.07. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft had not allowed more than three earned runs or lasted fewer than five innings in any of his previous nine major league games.
Anibal Sanchez (9-7) went 6 2-3 innings and both runs he was responsible for were unearned. He allowed five hits and had seven strikeouts.
Strasburg hadn’t pitched since a victory at Cincinnati on July 21.
Dodgers 15 Phillies 9: In Philadelphia, Andre Ethier had four hits, scored four runs and reached base six times, and Casey Blake and Jay Gibbons hit home runs for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers had 18 hits, eight off starter Kyle Kendrick (7-5), who lasted only 3 1-3 innings. The top four hitters in the batting order — Scott Podsednik , Ryan Theriot , Ethier and James Loney — had 11 hits and scored 11 runs.
Los Angeles started a seven-game road trip through Philadelphia and Atlanta with their highest-scoring game of the season. The Dodgers had gone 6-15 since the All-Star Break before winning three straight.
The Dodgers already led 3-0 before scoring four runs in the fourth to chase Kendrick. Blake finished with four RBIs.
Vicente Padilla (6-3) allowed four tuns and six hits in five innings.
Phillies rookie Domonic Brown hit the first home run of his career in the sixth inning off Ronald Belisario.
Cubs 8 Giants 6: At San Francisco, Starlin Castro drove in three runs and Kosuke Fukudome homered for Chicago, which battered San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum .
Ryan Dempster (10-8) pitched into the seventh inning for his second straight win while Aramis Ramirez added three hits for Chicago, which ended a season-high six-game losing streak on the road. It was only the Cubs’ third win in their last 15 games.
Lincecum (11-6), the two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner, lasted just four innings and gave up six runs, including Fukudome’s two-run homer in the first. Over his last five starts San Francisco’s ace is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA.
Mets 1 Rockies 0: At New York, Mike Pelfrey outpitched Ubaldo Jimenez for seven innings, and Jose Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to help New York kick off a crucial homestand.
The Mets moved back to .500 (56-56) with a much-needed win after returning from a 2-4 road trip against division rivals that helped drop them 8 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East.
Pelfrey (11-6) went seven innings for the first time since June 19, and gave up four hits. He struck out four and walked one while throwing a career-high 122 pitches.
Cardinals 8 Reds 4: At Cincinnati, St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina jawed with Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips in the first inning, sparking a benches-clearing fight, and the Cardinals moved back into first place in the NL Central.
Molina hit a solo homer and a sacrifice fly off Johnny Cueto (11-3), who got shoved against the backstop screen and furiously kicked several Cardinals during the altercation. Both managers were ejected, but no players.
Matt Holliday broke the game open with a bases-loaded single in the seventh, one of his four hits.
Rookie left-hander Jaime Garcia (10-5) beat the Reds for the third time this season, giving up four runs in 5 1-3 innings. Ryan Franklin retired Phillips, the only batter he faced, on a routine grounder with two runners aboard, ending the game for his 20th save in 22 tries.
Braves 4 Astros 2: At Houston, Brooks Conrad’s two-run homer in the ninth inning gave Atlanta the win.
The Braves were trailing 2-1 after the Astros scored two runs in the eighth inning off Atlanta errors before Conrad’s shot to right field off Houston closer Matt Lindstrom (2-3).
Alex Gonzalez singled to set up Conrad’s go-ahead shot. Conrad entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning to replace Chipper Jones , who sprained his left knee.
Troy Glaus added a solo homer in the ninth and also drove in Atlanta’s first run in the seventh inning.
Jonny Venters (4-0) got the win after striking out Jason Michaels to end the eighth inning and Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save.
Diamondbacks 2 Brewers 1: At Milwaukee, Miguel Montero hit a home run to lead off the eighth inning and lift Arizona to the victory.
Montero reached down and drove a first-pitch slider from reliever Chris Capuano (1-2) to deep center for his fifth home run of the season.
Capuano fell to 0-2 in 12 relief appearances this season. Before this season, he had not pitched in the majors since Sept. 28, 2007. He had his second Tommy John surgery in May 2008.
Blaine Boyer (3-2) pitched two scoreless innings and Sam Demel earned his first career save.
Padres 4 Pirates 1: At San Diego, Ryan Ludwick hit his first two homers with San Diego, reaching 100 for his career.
San Diego’s Wade LeBlanc (6-10) tied his career-high with eight strikeouts to win for just the second time in six starts. He allowed one run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his 32nd save.
Pittsburgh’s Jeff Karstens (2-8), making his first start in his hometown, lost his sixth straight decision. He allowed two runs and three hits in six innings.
The NL West-leading Padres (65-46) have the best record in the NL while the Pirates (39-73) have the worst.
Ludwick, acquired from St. Louis in a three-team trade on July 31, homered in the second and the seventh, his 12th and 13th this season.
