Cubs’ Winning Streak Reaches Seven, 5-0

Glendon Rusch pitched a four-hit shutout, and Derrek Lee had three more hits to raise his average to .389, leading Chicago to a 5-0 victory over the Padres at San Diego on Thursday night, the Cubs’ season-high seventh win in a row.

The Cubs have had at least 10 hits in every game of the winning streak. The Cubs also won their sixth consecutive road game, the first time they have done that since 1991.

The NL West-leading Padres lost consecutive games for only the second time in 32 games. They were 22-6 in May, their best month ever.

Lee, whose average is the best in the majors, walked in his first two at-bats against rookie Tim Stauffer. He singled in his next three at-bats, making him eight for eight over two games and 11 for 13 in his last three.

Florida 6, Pittsburgh 3 -- Dontrelle Willis (9-2) halted the Marlins’ nine-game losing streak in Pittsburgh, getting homers from Carlos Delgado and Damion Easley to become the majors’ first nine-game winner.

The Marlins hadn’t won in Pittsburgh since an 11-1 victory on Sept. 8, 2002, and were in danger of being swept in PNC Park for the third consecutive season after the Pirates won the first three games of the four-game series.

Washington 8, Atlanta 6 -- National backup catcher Gary Bennett drove in five runs, three on a bases-loaded double in the eighth inning at Washington.

The Nationals scored five runs in the eighth, including four against struggling Dan Kolb (1-5).

Philadelphia 6, San Francisco 5 -- David Bell and Jimmy Rollins each drove in two runs at Philadelphia, and Jon Lieber won his second start in a row to help the Phillies return to .500.

The Phillies (27-27) swept the three-game series and moved back to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on April 21.

New York 6, Arizona 1 -- Pedro Martinez pitched eight sharp innings and got his customary home run from Carlos Beltran at New York.

Martinez (6-1) dominated the Diamondbacks, striking out nine to increase his NL-leading total to 92. Beltran hit his seventh homer of the season, all in games started by Martinez.

Colorado 8, St. Louis 7 -- Todd Helton tied the score with a two-run single in the ninth inning, and Brad Hawpe followed with the winning walk at Denver to hand Cardinal closer Jason Isringhausen his first blown save of the season.