WASHINGTON (AP) - Stephen Strasburg pitched six innings for his second win of the season, to lead the Washington Nationals to a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday.
Strasburg looked nearly unhittable for five innings, allowing just three singles, but the Astros got to him in the sixth for two runs and three hits.
Strasburg (2-0) walked one and struck out five. He hasn't allowed a home run in 50 1-3 innings - since Aug. 15, 2010.
Steve Lombardozzi had three singles and a two-run double in the sixth off Kyle Weiland (0-2) that gave Washington a 4-2 lead. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a two-run single.
METS 6, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA (AP) - Ike Davis hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and Dillon Gee pitched four-hit ball over seven innings.
The Mets snapped Atlanta's five-game winning streak and kept up their early dominance in the NL East rivalry, winning again after a three-game sweep of the Braves in New York to start the season.
With the game tied at 1 in the sixth, Atlanta intentionally walked hot-hitting David Wright with two outs to get to Davis - a move that certainly made sense, given the first baseman was batting just .118. The strategy backfired when Tommy Hanson (1-2) hung a 2-2 pitch and Davis drove it into the right-field seats.
Gee (1-1) was never in much trouble. Atlanta put together a couple of hits and a walk in the second, leading to its only run on Jack Wilson's RBI groundout.
PADRES 7, ROCKIES 1
DENVER (AP) - Cory Luebke threw seven efficient innings and Chase Headley tied a team record with three doubles, helping San Diego snap a four-game skid.
Luebke (1-1) breezed through the Rockies lineup on a brisk night, giving up six hits and one run.
Lately, the Padres have made themselves quite at home at Coors Field, winning seven of their past nine in the hitter friendly park. They did a bulk of their damage with doubles, hitting seven for the game.
Jeremy Guthrie (1-1) was feeling under the weather, but gave it a go despite a sore throat. With the bullpen taxed from so much recent work, Guthrie really had no choice but to hang in there as long as possible. The righty allowed six runs and nine hits before being lifted for a pinch hitter.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, PIRATES 1
PHOENIX (AP) - Chris Young had three hits, including his team-best fifth home run, and Joe Saunders pitched seven strong innings to help lead Arizona.
Saunders (1-0) allowed a run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Aaron Hill and Gerardo Parra also homered for the Diamondbacks, who have won two straight. Arizona is 25-4 in its last 29 home games.
Neil Walker drove in the run for the Pirates, who have lost six of seven. Pittsburgh has scored two runs or fewer in seven of 10 games this season.
PHILLIES 5, GIANTS 2
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Roy Halladay outlasted Tim Lincecum in a matchup of two-time Cy Young Award winners, leading Philadelphia past San Francisco.
Halladay (3-0) struck out six and allowed seven hits in eight innings on a crisp and cool spring night along the bay. He also had an RBI single in a rematch of aces from the 2010 NL championship series.
Laynce Nix's two-run double highlighted a four-run first off Lincecum (0-2) that produced all the power Philadelphia needed. The Phillies chased San Francisco's shaggy-haired and struggling right-hander after he gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings.