Piazza Delivers a Win for Padres

Mike Piazza hit a three-run homer against Ryan Dempster in the ninth inning, and the surging San Diego Padres rallied for their 13th victory in 14 games with a 4-3 win at Chicago.

Mike Cameron led off the ninth with a single to center, and Brian Giles followed with a base hit to right. Piazza then hit his fourth homer, pulling an 0-and-1 pitch over the left-field wall to make it 4-3.

The Cubs have lost 13 of 15 games.

The blown save was the first in eight opportunities for Dempster (0-1). It spoiled a terrific start by Greg Maddux, who gave up an unearned run in 7 1/3 innings. Maddux left to a standing ovation with two runners on and a run in. Scott Eyre relieved, and pinch hitter Eric Young grounded into a double play.

Trevor Hoffman pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save in as many opportunities.

Philadelphia 2, Cincinnati 0 -- Jon Lieber took a perfect game into the seventh inning and gave up two hits in 8 2/3 innings to help the Phillies beat the Reds at Cincinnati.

Lieber (3-4) didn’t allow a walk and struck out six to earn his third straight win.

The 36-year-old right-hander retired the first 20 batters he faced before Adam Dunn lined a single up the middle past shortstop Jimmy Rollins with two out in the seventh inning.

St. Louis 9, Arizona 1 -- Albert Pujols became the fastest player in major league history to reach 19 home runs in the Cardinals’ victory at St. Louis.

Pujols reached the milestone in his 37th game, beating Mickey Mantle in 1956 and Luis Gonzalez of the Diamondbacks in 2001, by three games. Pujols hit run-scoring singles in the first and fourth, hiking his major league-leading total to 47 runs batted in.

New York 9, Milwaukee 8 -- Paul Lo Duca hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the top of ninth against Derrick Turnbow to give the Mets the victory.

Lo Duca sent the 1-and-0 pitch from Turnbow (0-1) over the wall in left-center, giving the right-hander his first loss since April 10, 2005.

Colorado 2, Houston 1 -- Luis Gonzalez and Todd Helton hit run-scoring singles, Aaron Cook pitched 6 1/3 strong innings at Houston, and the Rockies ended a season-high three-game losing streak.

Colorado beat Roy Oswalt for the first time, jumping on the Houston starter for four hits and two runs in the third inning.

Atlanta 8, Washington 5 -- Jeff Francoeur hit a grand slam with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning against closer Chad Cordero, rallying the Braves to a stunning victory over the Nationals.

Florida 4, Pittsburgh 3 -- Miguel Cabrera doubled twice and Scott Olsen bounced back from his worst start of the season to strike out nine over six innings, in a matchup of the NL’s two worst teams at Pittsburgh.