Brewers beat Cardinals, avoid sweep

ST. LOUIS — Zack Greinke worked six strong innings and Jonathan Lucroy’s two- run double capped a three- run sixth as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3- 2 Sunday to avoid a three- game sweep.

Greinke ( 3- 1) allowed a run on seven hits to help stop the Brewers’ six- game road losing streak. He’s 2- 1 with a 2.11 ERA in four career games in St. Louis. He pitched a lot better than in his only other road start this year, when he surrendered eight runs in 3 2- 3 innings at Chicago on April 12.

Jaime Garcia ( 2- 1) fell to 17- 10 at home with a 2.38 ERA and all three of his shutouts, and 12- 7 with 4.15 ERA on the road.

John Axford escaped an eventful ninth for his fifth save in five chances and 48th in a row, breaking a tie with Brad Lidge for the fourth- longest string in major league history.

Mets 6, Rockies 5, 11 innings

DENVER — Ike Davis singled in the go- ahead run in the 11th inning and the New York Mets overcame two tying homers allowed by their bullpen to beat the Colorado Rockies 6- 5 Sunday.

David Wright started the 11th with a single off Matt Belisle ( 1- 2) and Lucas Duda followed with a single. After Scott Hairston

Cubs 5, Phillies 1

Reds 6, Astros 5

hit into a fielder’s choice, Davis lined a single to left to score Wright and rescue the Mets.

Ramon Ramirez nailed down the save, holding onto a lead after Tim Byrdak and Frank Francisco ( 1- 0) couldn’t.

Byrdak gave up Helton’s slam in the eighth, and Francisco blew a save in the 10th after pinch- hitter Mike Baxter singled off Belisle and Kirk Nieuwenhuis followed with an opposite field RBI double to left.

PHILADELPHIA — Matt Garza pitched one- hit ball for seven shutout innings and struck out 10 Sunday as the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5- 1.

Garza ( 2- 1) gave up a pop- fly single to Jimmy Rollins leading off the first and nothing more.

Garza retired 20 of the next 21 batters, with Juan Pierre’s seventhinning walk accounting for the only other baserunner.

Marmol walked a pair and Hunter Pence’s infield single with two outs loaded the bases. Marmol then walked Ty Wigginton to force home a run before getting Shane Victorino on a game- ending groundout.

CINCINNATI — Jay Bruce’s fourth home run in four games lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 6- 5 comeback win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Logan Ondrusek ( 1- 0) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win. Sean Marshall earned his fifth save in six tries.

Houston starter Jordan Lyles was recalled from Triple- A Oklahoma City before the game. He lasted six innings, allowing four hits and three runs with three walks and four strikeouts.

Diamondbacks 8, Marlins 4

MIAMI — Unbeaten Wade Miley held the Miami Marlins hitless until the sixth inning, and Jason Kubel drove in three runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to an 8- 4 victory Sunday.

Miley ( 3- 0) gave up one hit and an unearned run in 6 1- 3 innings to lower his ERA to 1.29. He also singled and scored the game’s first run.

The retractable roof over the Marlins’ new ballpark averted a rainout, because showers fell all day. But even inside, it was a gloomy afternoon for the home team, and boos rained down from the crowd of 34,918 during Arizona’s five- run sixth inning.

The Marlins trailed 8- 0 before they managed their first hit in the sixth inning, a leadoff double by John Buck. Miami has lost seven of its past eight games.

Braves 4, Pirates 3

ATLANTA — Tim Hudson survived five tough innings to win in his return from offseason back surgery and the Atlanta Braves held on in the ninth to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4- 3 on Sunday.

Craig Kimbrel gave up one run in the ninth before earning his eighth save. Jose Tabata hit a one- out double, advanced to third on Andrew Mccutchen’s groundout and scored on Kimbrel’s wild pitch. Kimbrel struck out Garrett Jones to end the game.

Giants 4, Padres 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval homered to back Madison Bumgarner’s fourth straight victory, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Padres 4- 1 on Sunday to deny San Diego its first series win of the year.

Joaquin Arias added a two- run triple in the sixth inning to turn a one- run lead into 4- 1.

Bumgarner struck out a season- best six in 7 2- 3 innings for his team- leading fourth victory, and he has won four straight starts since losing his season debut at Arizona. He owns a 1.61 ERA during the winning streak. Bumgarner allowed six hits and walked one.

Dodgers 2, Nationals 0

LOS ANGELES — Chris Capuano struck out nine while combining with two relievers on a four- hitter, James Loney drove in two runs with a bases- loaded single and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three- game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 2- 0 victory on Sunday.

Kenley Jansen followed Josh Lindblom out of the bullpen and pitched a hitless ninth for his second save in three chances after starting out with six straight balls and getting a visit from pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. Jansen then struck out his next two batters and fanned Jesus Flores with runners at first and second to end it.