Coleman, a rookie right-hander, took a one-hitter into the seventh inning, and Cubs interim manager Quade had a successful debut Monday night in a 9-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Making his second start and sixth major league appearance, Coleman (1-1) allowed one run and three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He faced only three batters above the minimum until the seventh, when he gave up consecutive hits followed by Ivan Rodridguez’s RBI groundout. Coleman collected his first major league hit, a single punched through a drawn-in infield in the fifth that also produced his first RBI.
In Denver, Todd Helton’s first four-hit game in more than a year included the tiebreaking RBI single off Jonny Venters in the eighth inning that lifted the Rockies to a win over the Braves.
Helton singled over second base to score Carlos Gonzalez from second and make a winner of reliever Rafael Betancourt (4-1), who gave up the tying run in the top of the eighth.
Huston Street got the final three outs for his 11th save in 15 chances.
Venters fell to 4-1.
Helton, who has started to break out of a season-long slump this month, hadn’t had a four-hit game since July 16, 2009, against San Diego. He’s hitting .308 (16-for-52) since coming off the DL on Aug. 3.
In Pittsburgh, Albert Pujols hit a three-run home run one pitch after injured Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf was pulled during a four-run St. Louis first inning, and the Cardinals moved to within a game of the NL wild card lead by beating Pittsburgh.
Kyle Lohse (2-5), making his second start since spending nearly three months on the disabled list with a right forearm injury, pitched five scoreless innings before giving up Garrett Jones’ two-run homer in the sixth. Lohse was lifted one out later, but still won for the first time since May 17 against Washington.
Pujols had another big night, homering in his 10th game of the Cardinals’ last 19 while adding a single and a double in five at-bats. Pujols has eight homers in 22 games against Pittsburgh since last season.
In Philadelphia, Brett Myers threw seven sharp innings against his former team, Carlos Lee hit a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth and the Astros beat the Phillies.
The wild card-leading Phillies lost for just the sixth time in their last 30 home games.
Pitching in a steady drizzle, Myers (9-7) gave up two runs and nine hits, striking out nine. Myers has pitched at least six innings in each of his 26 starts, tying Larry Dierker’s franchise record. It’s the longest streak to start a season since Curt Schilling had 35 straight in 2002.
Ryan Madson (4-2) took the loss.
In San Francisco, Matt Cain ended a three-start winless stretch after being staked to an early cushion, Andres Torres hit a two-run homer and the Giants beat the Reds.
Aubrey Huff added a solo homer leading off the eighth. Huff, Pat Burrell and Freddy Sanchez all doubled in runs in the Giants’ five-run first to knock Edinson Volquez (3-2) out after 2-3 of an inning for the shortest start of his career. Sanchez finished with a season-high four hits.
Cain (10-10) retired the final 14 batters he faced and struck out the side in order in the seventh. He allowed two runs on five hits in eight innings, struck out seven and walked one. CubsScott Rolen hit a two-run triple in the third for Cincinnati, which lost Jim Edmonds and Laynce Nix early to injuries.
