Fontenot got the start in place of Freddy Sanchez and delivered the big hit that plated San Francisco’s first run of the series and ended a streak of 29 2-3 innings without an earned run against Billingsley (11-10).
The Giants won for the 10th time in 14 games to move within a half-game of first-place San Diego in the NL West. San Francisco is also a half-game behind Atlanta in the wild-card race.
Billingsley allowed six hits and walked two in seven innings, striking out seven. He lost to San Francisco for the first time in five starts this season but still has an 0.74 ERA against the Giants in 2010.
Cain (12-10) gave up three hits, walked none and didn’t allow a runner to get past first base. Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless eighth. Brian Wilson allowed a two-out homer to Andre Ethier in the ninth before getting his 43rd save in 47 chances.
Rockies 9 Padres 6: In Denver, Troy Tulowitzki had his third multihomer game in a little more than a week, setting a career high with seven RBIs to help Colorado avoid a series sweep.
Tulowitzki has 11 homers in his last 13 games.
With Tulowitzki hitting a pair of three-run homers and an RBI single, and Jorge De La Rosa (8-4) giving the beleaguered bullpen a break by pitching into the eighth, the Rockies climbed within 2 1/2 games of San Diego. They also closed within 2 1/2 games of Atlanta in the NL wild-card race.
Adrian Gonzalez homered twice and drove in five runs for San Diego. Clayton Richard (12-8) gave up a season-high eight runs in three innings.
Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.
Phillies 10 Marlins 5: In Miami, Roy Halladay struck out nine to defeat Florida for the fourth time this season, and the Phillies extended their lead in the NL East to three games.
Halladay (19-10) gave up three runs and 10 hits in six innings for the Phillies, who swept a three-game series at Florida for the second time this season and are 17-3 away from home since Aug. 1. Halladay has a career-high 210 strikeouts, 41 coming against the Marlins, and is the Phillies’ first 19-game winner since John Denny in 1983.
The win, combined with Atlanta’s 4-2 loss to Washington, gave the two-time defending NL champions their largest division lead since May 25.
Chase Utley homered for Philadelphia. Jose Contreras — who relieved an ineffective Brad Lidge in the ninth — escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam for his fourth save in five chances.
Gaby Sanchez went deep for the Marlins, who used six pitchers, all relievers. Jorge Sosa (2-3) got the loss.
Nationals 4 Braves 2: In Atlanta, light-hitting Justin Maxwell hit a grand slam off rookie Mike Minor in the second inning and last-place Washington handed the Braves their second home series loss this season.
John Lannan (8-7) gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings for the Nationals, who have won eight of 15 meetings with the Braves this season. Joel Peralta , Sean Burnett and Drew Storen combined for two-hit relief, with Storen pitching a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Minor (3-1) yielded four hits in five innings.
Reds 7 Diamondbacks 5: In Cincinnati, Drew Stubbs connected and Cincinnati’s deep bullpen held off Arizona with the help of a homer-saving catch by right fielder Jay Bruce .
Orlando Cabrera had three doubles — giving him five in his last three games — and scored three runs for the Reds. Five relievers teamed up to pitch six innings of two-run ball in support of starter Homer Bailey , who left the game after three innings with dizziness.
Kelly Johnson hit his 21st homer for the Diamondbacks. Joe Saunders (2-6) allowed seven runs, four earned, and nine hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Matt Maloney (1-2) got the win and Francisco Cordero worked the ninth for his 36th save after blowing his previous two opportunities.
Bruce made a running, leaping catch in the corner to rob Adam LaRoche of a tying homer, ending the game.
Mets 8 Pirates 7: In New York, Angel Pagan capped New York’s seven-run fourth inning with a tiebreaking two-run single and the Mets handed the Pirates another road loss.
Jose Reyes hit his 10th homer in the sixth inning for the Mets, who have won three straight.
The Pirates helped New York out with two errors in the big fourth inning, when they wasted a 5-0 lead. Ike Davis and pinch-hitter Mike Hessman each had run-scoring hits in the frame.
Paul Maholm (7-15) lasted just 3 2-3 innings for Pittsburgh, which dropped to 15-58 on the road and could threaten the 1963 Mets’ record for worst road mark (17-64) in a 162-game season.
Brewers 8 Astros 6, 10 innings: In Houston, Mat Gamel hit the go-ahead double in the 10th inning and Milwaukee avoided a series sweep.
Ryan Braun homered and drove in three runs for the Brewers, who lost the first two games of the series 4-2 and 3-2.
With the game tied at 6, Carlos Gomez singled off Matt Lindstrom (2-5), stole second and took third on an error by catcher Jason Castro . Gamel doubled in Gomez, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Jonathan Lucroy’s single.
John Axford (8-1) walked one in two scoreless innings for the win.
Milwaukee led 5-0, then trailed 6-5 before Braun’s RBI double off Brandon Lyon in the ninth.
Cubs 7 Cardinals 3: In St. Louis, Carlos Zambrano pitched six innings of two-run ball, Tyler Colvin hit a three-run homer and the Cubs beat the sliding Cardinals to complete their first three-game sweep in St. Louis in more than 20 years.
Zambrano (9-6) allowed an earned run and four hits, improving to 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA in his last seven starts. He is 7-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 12 career starts in St. Louis, including 6-0 in seven outings at the new Busch Stadium.
It was the Cubs’ first three-game series sweep in St. Louis since June 10-12, 1988. Chicago also has won five consecutive games at the Cardinals for the first time since June 18-Aug. 14, 1983.
