Colbrunn’s Cycle Carries Arizona

Greg Colbrunn hit for the cycle, including two two-run homers, and scored four times as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Diego Padres, 10-3, Wednesday night at San Diego.

The defending World Series-champion Diamondbacks reduced their magic number to five for clinching their second consecutive National League West title.

Colbrunn went five for six to set a career high and tie a club record for hits. He completed the cycle with a triple into the right-field corner with one out in the ninth. Going into the game, Colbrunn had only 10 triples in 2,660 career at-bats.

Colbrunn singled and scored in the first inning, struck out in the third, hit a 406-foot, two-run homer in the fourth, doubled and scored in the sixth, and hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

It was his first career cycle and the second in Diamondback history. The first was by Luis Gonzalez on July 5, 2000, at Houston.

Matt Williams hit a homer in the fourth to support Rick Helling (9-11), who won for the first time in seven starts.

Arizona won for only the second time in eight games in San Diego this year.

Padre rookie left-hander Oliver Perez (3-4) had his winless streak reach eight starts. He gave up six runs in four innings.

St. Louis 8, Colorado 5--Scott Rolen homered twice, including a tiebreaking two-run drive in the ninth inning at Denver, and the Cardinals cut their magic number to four to clinch the NL Central.

St. Louis had five homers and three doubles. The game was played in 50-degree temperatures and was delayed 1 hour 19 minutes in the third inning because of rain.

Houston 3, Milwaukee 1--Brad Lidge had run-scoring hits in his first two major league at-bats and pitched three scoreless innings at Milwaukee before coming out because of a strained ribcage muscle.

Milwaukee’s Jose Hernandez struck out twice, moving within one of the season record of 189, set by Bobby Bonds in 1970.

Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 5--Pinch-hitter Jeremy Giambi’s three-run homer in the fifth helped lift the Phillies at Atlanta.

It was Giambi’s second career pinch-hit homer. Jose Mesa worked the ninth for his 41st save.

New York 2, Chicago 1--Mike Piazza hit a two-run homer and the Mets won their fifth in a row at Shea Stadium.

Todd Hundley hit his 200th career homer and Kerry Wood (11-10) reached 200 strikeouts for the second consecutive season for the Cubs, who lost for the eighth time in 12 games.

Pittsburgh 3, Cincinnati 2--Pinch-hitter Rob Mackowiak hit a two-run single, capping host Pittsburgh’s three-run rally in the eighth.

The Pirates overcame home runs by Ken Griffey Jr. and Jose Guillen. Mike Williams worked the ninth for his 43rd save.

Montreal 4, Florida 2--Vladimir Guerrero singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning at Miami.

Florida’s Derrek Lee hit a two-run single in the ninth to tie the score, 2-2. The rally began when Kevin Millar singled to extend his hitting streak to 24 games.