Maddux, Cubs Cool Off the Reds

Greg Maddux got another milestone victory Friday night against baseball’s hottest team, leading the visiting Chicago Cubs to a 6-5 win that ended the Cincinnati Reds’ eight-game streak.

The Cubs stopped their three-game losing streak with a short but solid performance by Maddux (7-5), who has beaten the Reds three times this season. He gave up four hits, including solo homers by Adam Dunn and Scott Hatteberg, in 5 1/3 innings.

Maddux’s 325th victory broke a tie with Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for 13th on the all-time list. Eddie Plank is next on the list, one win ahead.

Manager Dusty Baker went to his bullpen early -- Maddux had thrown only 66 pitches -- and finally got some relief for a team trying to recover from a month of poor play.

Struggling closer Ryan Dempster loaded the bases in the ninth with none out, then walked Ryan Freel to force in a run. He retired the next three batters for his 10th save in 13 chances, ending the game on Ken Griffey Jr.’s groundout.

Houston 7, Atlanta 2 -- Rookie Fernando Nieve survived a shaky first inning at Houston to lead the Astros over the Braves, who lost for the 10th time in 12 games.

He yielded five hits and had nine strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. The nine strikeouts were the most by a Houston rookie since Carlos Hernandez had that many against the Dodgers in September 2002.

Washington 9, Philadelphia 8 -- Pinch-hitter Robert Fick, the last position player available for the Nationals, singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning.

New York 10, Arizona 5 -- Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado each homered twice at Phoenix to help the Mets hand the Diamondbacks their fifth straight loss, dropping them into a tie with the Dodgers atop the West Division.

San Diego 3, Florida 2 -- Chris Young struck out a career-high 12 and hit his first major league triple to key the winning rally. The triple was the first of three hits in the span of three pitches in the bottom of the fifth inning that took the Padres from a one-run deficit to a 3-1 lead.

St. Louis 10, Milwaukee 6 -- Scott Spiezio drove in three runs during a six-run fourth inning at Milwaukee, and the Cardinals overcame a 6-0 deficit to end a three-game losing streak.

Pittsburgh 3, San Francisco 2 -- Sean Casey had four hits for the second straight game against the Giants to help the Pirates end a three-game losing streak. He improved his average in San Francisco to .472 (42 for 89). The Pirates improved to 2-13 in one-run games on the road.