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HOUSTON (AP) — Jeff Karstens pitched a five-hitter and Andrew McCutchen tripled and drove in two runs as surging Pittsburgh opened the second half of the season with a 4-0 victory over Houston on Friday night.
Karstens (8-4) needed just 83 pitches to become the first Pirate to win five straight decisions in a season since Matt Capps in 2006. He has an ERA of 2.34 this year, and had gone 3-0 with an 0.41 ERA against the Astros.
It was the second career complete game and shutout for Karstens, who last did it in 2008, at Arizona.
Houston starter Brett Myers (3-10) allowed five hits and three runs while striking out a season-high 11 in six innings in his fourth consecutive loss.
McCutchen's two-run triple to center field came in the third inning and made it 3-0. McCutchen has 10 RBIs in his last five games.
The Astros, who have the worst record in the majors, dropped their fifth straight and were shut out for the fifth time this season.
At New York, John Mayberry Jr. drove in five runs to set another career best in the Phillies win on the road.
Mayberry singled and doubled with the bases loaded. It marked the second straight game where he established a personal high in RBIs — on the Phillies' final day of the first half, he hit three doubles and drove in four runs against Atlanta.
Raul Ibanez contributed a home run for the NL East leaders.
Promoted from Triple-A before the game for his fourth stint of the year with Philadelphia, Vance Worley (5-1) pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning. The rookie right-hander has a 2.15 ERA and he picked up his first career RBI with a groundout.
Carlos Beltran hit his 14th homer as the Mets lost their third straight and dropped back to .500.
At Cincinnati, Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer off Fernando Salas with two outs in the ninth inning to rally Cincinnati in the NL Central rivalry.
Phillips connected on the second pitch from Salas (5-3) for his second career game-ending homer.
St. Louis went up 5-4 in the eighth on Albert Pujols' two-run homer off Aroldis Chapman.
Chris Heisey hit two solo homers for the Reds and robbed Pujols of one in the first inning, snatching his flyball from the top of the wall in center field.
Tony Cruz's pinch-hit RBI single put the Cardinals up 3-2.
Rookie shortstop Zack Cozart drove in the tying run with an infield single, and Joey Votto's double put the Reds up 4-3.
Logan Ondrusek (4-3) got the win.
At Atlanta, Martin Prado had two hits, including a homer, in his return from five weeks on the disabled list as Atlanta earned the 10,000th win in franchise history.
Tim Hudson (9-6) gave up one run and seven hits in seven innings and had two hits. He has now won four straight.
Freddie Freeman drove in three runs with two hits, including a two-run double in the seventh.
First baseman Michael Morse, who had only one error this season, had three of the Nationals' five errors.
Livan Hernandez (5-9) gave up six runs, three earned, eight hits and a walk in four innings.
At Chicago, the Cubs overcame another shaky performance by closer Carlos Marmol to beat Florida 2-1 on Friday, ending the Marlins' season-high, six-game winning streak.
Ryan Dempster (7-6) allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings and struck out nine without a walk, as the Cubs won for only the third time in nine games.
Marmol followed Thursday's meltdown in a ninth-inning loss to Florida by walking Omar Infante on four pitches to start the inning. With one out center fielder Marlon Byrd threw out Hanley Ramirez trying to stretch a single into a double. But Logan Morrison lined an RBI single to cut Florida's deficit to 2-1.
Sean Marshall relieved and struck out Mike Stanton to end the game, giving him two saves in four chances.
Ricky Nolasco (6-6) allowed two unearned runs and seven hits, struck out seven and walked one in seven innings.
At Denver, Rookie Juan Nicasio pitched seven strong innings and Dexter Fowler scored twice in his return from a demotion to the minor leagues to lead Colorado.
Mark Ellis doubled twice and Todd Helton added two RBI singles to help the Rockies win for the fourth time in five games.
Nicasio (4-2) allowed four hits and struck out four. Matt Lindstrom and Huston Street pitched an inning each.
Chris Narveson (6-6) allowed five hits and three runs in six innings.
Ryan Braun went 0 for 3 and saw his career-best 23-game hitting streak end.
At Phoenix, Matt Kemp homered and drove in four runs, and Clayton Kershaw pitched around a costly error in the seventh inning as Los Angeles won its fifth straight.
Juan Rivera homered in his first at-bat since being traded from Toronto and Kemp added a two-run shot off Diamondbacks starter Joe Saunders (6-8) to put the Dodgers up 6-0. Kershaw (10-4) baffled the Diamondbacks over the first six innings before a fielding error by third baseman Juan Uribe allowed Arizona to claw its way back.
The Diamondbacks scored four runs in the inning, capped by Xavier Nady's three-run homer.
Kershaw allowed five hits and struck out eight. He gave up four runs, but none were earned because of Uribe's error.
At San Diego, Tim Lincecum and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and Cody Ross homered as NL West-leading San Francisco extended San Diego's losing streak to a season-high seven games.
Pablo Sandoval went 0 for 2, ending his career-best 22-game hitting streak, although he walked twice and hit a sacrifice fly. Andres Torres had three hits, two RBIs and scored three runs for the defending World Series champions.
San Diego had only four singles, three off Lincecum (8-7) during his six innings. The right-hander allowed one run while striking out seven and walking three to win consecutive starts for just the second time this year.
Dustin Moseley (2-9) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.
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Karstens (8-4) needed just 83 pitches to become the first Pirate to win five straight decisions in a season since Matt Capps in 2006. He has an ERA of 2.34 this year, and had gone 3-0 with an 0.41 ERA against the Astros.
It was the second career complete game and shutout for Karstens, who last did it in 2008, at Arizona.
Houston starter Brett Myers (3-10) allowed five hits and three runs while striking out a season-high 11 in six innings in his fourth consecutive loss.
McCutchen's two-run triple to center field came in the third inning and made it 3-0. McCutchen has 10 RBIs in his last five games.
The Astros, who have the worst record in the majors, dropped their fifth straight and were shut out for the fifth time this season.
At New York, John Mayberry Jr. drove in five runs to set another career best in the Phillies win on the road.
Mayberry singled and doubled with the bases loaded. It marked the second straight game where he established a personal high in RBIs — on the Phillies' final day of the first half, he hit three doubles and drove in four runs against Atlanta.
Raul Ibanez contributed a home run for the NL East leaders.
Promoted from Triple-A before the game for his fourth stint of the year with Philadelphia, Vance Worley (5-1) pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning. The rookie right-hander has a 2.15 ERA and he picked up his first career RBI with a groundout.
Carlos Beltran hit his 14th homer as the Mets lost their third straight and dropped back to .500.
At Cincinnati, Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer off Fernando Salas with two outs in the ninth inning to rally Cincinnati in the NL Central rivalry.
Phillips connected on the second pitch from Salas (5-3) for his second career game-ending homer.
St. Louis went up 5-4 in the eighth on Albert Pujols' two-run homer off Aroldis Chapman.
Chris Heisey hit two solo homers for the Reds and robbed Pujols of one in the first inning, snatching his flyball from the top of the wall in center field.
Tony Cruz's pinch-hit RBI single put the Cardinals up 3-2.
Rookie shortstop Zack Cozart drove in the tying run with an infield single, and Joey Votto's double put the Reds up 4-3.
Logan Ondrusek (4-3) got the win.
At Atlanta, Martin Prado had two hits, including a homer, in his return from five weeks on the disabled list as Atlanta earned the 10,000th win in franchise history.
Tim Hudson (9-6) gave up one run and seven hits in seven innings and had two hits. He has now won four straight.
Freddie Freeman drove in three runs with two hits, including a two-run double in the seventh.
First baseman Michael Morse, who had only one error this season, had three of the Nationals' five errors.
Livan Hernandez (5-9) gave up six runs, three earned, eight hits and a walk in four innings.
At Chicago, the Cubs overcame another shaky performance by closer Carlos Marmol to beat Florida 2-1 on Friday, ending the Marlins' season-high, six-game winning streak.
Ryan Dempster (7-6) allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings and struck out nine without a walk, as the Cubs won for only the third time in nine games.
Marmol followed Thursday's meltdown in a ninth-inning loss to Florida by walking Omar Infante on four pitches to start the inning. With one out center fielder Marlon Byrd threw out Hanley Ramirez trying to stretch a single into a double. But Logan Morrison lined an RBI single to cut Florida's deficit to 2-1.
Sean Marshall relieved and struck out Mike Stanton to end the game, giving him two saves in four chances.
Ricky Nolasco (6-6) allowed two unearned runs and seven hits, struck out seven and walked one in seven innings.
At Denver, Rookie Juan Nicasio pitched seven strong innings and Dexter Fowler scored twice in his return from a demotion to the minor leagues to lead Colorado.
Mark Ellis doubled twice and Todd Helton added two RBI singles to help the Rockies win for the fourth time in five games.
Nicasio (4-2) allowed four hits and struck out four. Matt Lindstrom and Huston Street pitched an inning each.
Chris Narveson (6-6) allowed five hits and three runs in six innings.
Ryan Braun went 0 for 3 and saw his career-best 23-game hitting streak end.
At Phoenix, Matt Kemp homered and drove in four runs, and Clayton Kershaw pitched around a costly error in the seventh inning as Los Angeles won its fifth straight.
Juan Rivera homered in his first at-bat since being traded from Toronto and Kemp added a two-run shot off Diamondbacks starter Joe Saunders (6-8) to put the Dodgers up 6-0. Kershaw (10-4) baffled the Diamondbacks over the first six innings before a fielding error by third baseman Juan Uribe allowed Arizona to claw its way back.
The Diamondbacks scored four runs in the inning, capped by Xavier Nady's three-run homer.
Kershaw allowed five hits and struck out eight. He gave up four runs, but none were earned because of Uribe's error.
At San Diego, Tim Lincecum and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and Cody Ross homered as NL West-leading San Francisco extended San Diego's losing streak to a season-high seven games.
Pablo Sandoval went 0 for 2, ending his career-best 22-game hitting streak, although he walked twice and hit a sacrifice fly. Andres Torres had three hits, two RBIs and scored three runs for the defending World Series champions.
San Diego had only four singles, three off Lincecum (8-7) during his six innings. The right-hander allowed one run while striking out seven and walking three to win consecutive starts for just the second time this year.
Dustin Moseley (2-9) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.
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