Diamondbacks’ Johnson Gets 30th Career Shutout

Randy Johnson pitched a five-hitter for his 30th career shutout and Luis Gonzalez and Matt Williams homered for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Monday night at Phoenix.

Johnson (16-5) became the second 16-game winner in the majors. Teammate Curt Schilling has 17 wins. Johnson struck out 10 in his first complete game since April 23, when he defeated Florida, 9-0.

Johnson struck out Aramis Ramirez to end the game, giving him the 18th double-digit strikeout game of the season and the 166th of his career.

The victory, Arizona’s fourth in a row, stretched the Diamondback lead to one game over San Francisco in the National League West.

Jimmy Anderson (6-13) allowed only five hits in 6 2/3 innings, but gave up three runs on Gonzalez’s solo shot in the first inning and Williams’ two-run blast in the sixth. Anderson struck out five and walked three.

Gonzalez, who had gone eight games without a home run since hitting one on Aug. 3 against the New York Mets, jumped on a 2-and-0 pitch from Anderson and lined his 44th into the right-field seats.

Houston 9, Chicago 5--Craig Biggio hit the 28th leadoff home run of his career, two short of the NL record, and Vinny Castilla and Daryle Ward also homered for the Astros at Houston.

The Astros took a half-game lead in the NL Central over the second-place Cubs, who had been in first since May 29.

Biggio hit the first pitch from Jason Bere (8-6) for his major league-leading seventh leadoff homer this season and his second in three games. Bobby Bonds holds the NL record with 30 leadoff homers.

Shane Reynolds (11-10) improved to 7-0 with a 2.03 earned-run average in eight starts against the Cubs since Aug. 4, 1998. He pitched 7 1/3 innings, gave up six hits, struck out three and walked three.

Sammy Sosa hit a two-run home run on the first pitch from Reynolds after Ricky Gutierrez singled. It was Sosa’s 42nd home run of the season.

St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 2--Edgar Renteria capped a three-run eighth inning with a two-out, two-run single at St. Louis and the Cardinals won their fifth consecutive game.

The Cardinals had five hits in the first seven innings against Elmer Dessens (8-9) before Fernando Vina and Placido Polanco started the eighth with singles to put runners at the corners.

Mark McGwire’s flyout scored Vina, Albert Pujols walked and reliever Hector Mercado walked Jim Edmonds before Scott Sullivan struck out Craig Paquette.

Then Renteria grounded a 2-and-1 pitch between shortstop and third base to drive in two runs.

Andy Benes (7-6) faced only one batter, striking out Aaron Boone to end the eighth.