Willis Wins His 18th, 2-1

Dontrelle Willis used his arm and hip Saturday to tie for the major league lead with his 18th win.

Willis beat Greg Maddux, driving in the tiebreaking run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the Florida Marlins’ 2-1 win over the Cubs at Chicago.

Willis (18-8) gave up one run and six hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out six, walked one and hit one batter.

“He gives us a pretty good outing every time he goes out there,” Marlin Manager Jack McKeon said. “He’s an 18-game winner. He’s going to be a 20-game winner, there’s no doubt in my mind. He just makes the hitters hit the ball and doesn’t mess around too much.”

Willis matched Chris Carpenter of St. Louis with 18 wins and tied the Marlins’ season record, set by Carl Pavano last year.

Maddux (10-11) pitched a five-hitter for his second complete game of the season, striking out two, walking one and hitting two batters. He has about five starts left as he tries to extend his major league record of 17 consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins.

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Colorado 4, San Diego 2 -- Todd Helton hit the third grand slam of his career and the Rockies won at San Diego for their fourth consecutive victory.

Helton’s home run in the fifth inning sliced down the left-field line and just made it into the second deck of the building that borders the left-field foul pole at Petco Park.

The Rockies, with the National League’s worst road record at 18-43, have won four straight on the road and six of seven overall.

The win also allowed Colorado to set a franchise record by winning its fourth straight road series.

Sun-woo Kim (3-2), making his second start for the Rockies since being claimed off waivers Aug. 5, held the Padres to one run and four hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one. Kim, who threw 71 pitches, was on a pitch count of 70 pitches.

Helton is hitting .381 with three home runs, three doubles and eight RBIs in five games at Petco Park this season.

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San Francisco 2, New York 1 -- Jason Schmidt outpitched Tom Glavine at San Francisco to help end the Mets’ five-game winning streak.

Mike Matheny hit an RBI double, and Schmidt (11-6) won his third straight decision for his first unbeaten month since May, when he went 1-0 in three starts.

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Arizona 2, Philadelphia 0 -- Alex Cintron hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer and Brandon Webb threw seven scoreless innings at Phoenix to help the Diamondbacks end a season-high six-game losing streak.

Jon Lieber (12-12) retired his first 14 batters and blanked the Diamondbacks on three hits through six innings. But in the seventh, Chad Tracy doubled with one out and Cintron lofted a two-out drive barely over the glove of leaping right fielder Bobby Abreu for his third pinch-hit homer of the season.

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Atlanta 8, Milwaukee 4 -- John Smoltz (13-6) gave up three hits in seven strong innings at Milwaukee for his first win this month.

Chipper Jones hit a tying two-run single in the fifth and scored the go-ahead run on Jeff Francoeur’s single. Jones and Francoeur each had three hits and the Braves tied their season high with 17.

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Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 2 -- Jose Mesa hit Edwin Encarnacion with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run as the Reds rallied to win in 10 innings at Pittsburgh.

Reliever David Weathers (7-1) gave up one hit and walked one to earn the victory, Cincinnati’s third straight and fifth in six games.

Kent Mercker earned his fourth save in six opportunities.