Mike Nickeas and Andres
Torres each hit a two-run single to back Santana, who toughed out seven innings
for his first victory since the two-time Cy Young Award winner had shoulder
surgery in September 2010. Daniel Murphy went 4 for 4 for the Mets.
Santana's last win came against
Atlanta on Sept. 2, 2010, before his injury wiped out last season. The Mets had
scored just four runs in his first five starts this year but matched that total
in the fourth inning Saturday.
Santana (1-2) allowed nine
hits and gave up three runs, striking out five and walking one.
In Washington, Gio Gonzalez allowed one run over
seven innings and Washington hit a season-high three home runs in the win over
Philadelphia.
Jayson Werth hit a three-run
drive, Chad Tracy connected with a man on and Ian Desmond had a solo shot for
the Nationals, who have won seven straight over the Phillies dating to last
year.
Gonzalez (3-1) gave up four
hits, struck out seven and walked one. Acquired last December in a trade with
Oakland, the left-hander has a 1.72 ERA in six starts this season and has
yielded only three runs over the last 27 innings.
In Chicago, Chris Capuano threw seven shutout innings
and drove in two runs to lead Los Angeles past Chicago.
Capuano (4-0) held Chicago to
three hits and struck out seven, extending his scoreless innings streak to 18
2-3. His two-run double in the second gave him his first RBIs since Aug. 24,
2007.
Cubs starter Chris Volstad
(0-4) fell to 0-9 over 17 starts dating to July 10. He allowed four hits and
five runs over five innings, walking three and striking out one.
In San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner shut down Milwaukee for seven innings and
added an RBI double to win his eighth straight home start as San Francisco
snapped a four-game skid.
Buster Posey and Brett Pill
added RBI hits in a three-run sixth inning against Randy Wolf to give Bumgarner
(5-1) all the support he needed.
The Brewers got NL MVP Ryan
Braun back in the lineup after he missed Friday's series opener with a sore
right Achilles and he hit a solo homer in the eighth inning.
In Houston,
Chris Johnson hit his first career grand slam, Bud Norris continued his
dominance of St. Louis and Houston won its fifth straight for the first time
since late 2010.
Jed Lowrie added a two-run
home run for the Astros, who hadn't won five straight since Aug. 22-26, 2010.
Norris (2-1) limited the
Cardinals to one unearned run on three hits over six innings to improve to 7-2
in 11 career starts against them.
In Pittsburgh, Neil Walker hit his first homer since
September and James McDonald put together another strong start to lead
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati.
Alex Presley also homered for
Pittsburgh and Joel Hanrahan worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save in
relief of McDonald (2-1), who gave up one run and six hits in 6 1-3 innings.
In Denver, Chipper Jones had three hits and matched a
career high with five RBIs, and Atlanta overcame a grand slam by Michael
Cuddyer to beat Colorado.
Matt Diaz and Jason Heyward
hit back-to-back home runs to help the Braves overtake the Rockies after
trailing 6-0 and 8-3. Atlanta scored 10 runs from the sixth inning on and
benefited from sloppy defense by the Rockies, who committed four errors in a
game that included a 69-minute rain delay in the eighth.
In San Diego, Mark Buehrle threw a five-hitter and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs
singled in the go-ahead run to lift Miami over San Diego for its season-high
fifth straight victory.
With a bullpen depleted due
to overuse recently and closer Heath Bell getting demoted, Miami manager Ozzie
Guillen was counting on Buehrle to pitch deep in the game, and he delivered.
