Maddux Earns His 311th Victory

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Posted 4:41PM on Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Greg Maddux sounded like a giddy teenager after matching a boyhood favorite - Tom Seaver - on the career wins list. Chris Carpenter and Andy Pettitte did not have to equal a Hall of Famer to make a few fans of their own Monday night. Maddux earned his 311th victory to tie Seaver for 17th on the all-time list, allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4. "Cool," Maddux said. "Because you know what, I watched him. That was one of the guys I was lucky enough to watch. Growing up, I was a huge Reds fan. When he went to the Reds, I was all fired up and everything. So, yeah, that's cool." Carpenter took a shutout into the ninth inning, leading the visiting St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 6-1. Carpenter (10-4) allowed three hits through eight innings before Felipe Lopez led off the ninth with his 12th homer, ending the right-hander's career-best scoreless streak at 17 innings. He threw a one-hitter to beat Toronto 7-0 last Tuesday. "The game he pitched against Toronto, it was lights out," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "He was just as good today. He's got so many weapons, and he competes so hard." A day after his wife Laura gave birth to their fourth child, Pettitte pitched five-hit ball for seven innings in the Houston Astros' 7-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies. "He's a good pitcher and when he's able to cut the ball by us like he was tonight, he's very good," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He threw every pitch for strikes and we didn't make a run on him in any inning." In other NL games, it was: Washington 7, Pittsburgh 4; San Diego 1, L.A. Dodgers 0; and San Francisco 8, Arizona 3. Derrek Lee hit his 19th home run and Aramis Ramirez also connected off Tomo Ohka (5-4) with two outs in the first for Chicago, which just came off a three-game sweep by the Yankees. Maddux said the early run support was important. "It was quick - bam, bam," he said. "It's nice, it's always nice to go out there with a lead." Maddux (6-4) gave up Lyle Overbay's two-run homer in the third and Rickie Weeks' RBI double in the sixth. He walked three and struck out two before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the seventh, and improved to 11-2 in 18 career starts against Milwaukee. At Cincinnati, Albert Pujols and Reggie Sanders each hit two-run homers against Reds pitchers, who have allowed at least one home run in 57 of 70 games for a total of 106 homers, most in the majors. Carpenter was removed after he walked Rich Aurilia, his second batter in the ninth, then Ray King got three outs to finish the four-hitter. Carpenter struck out eight and walked two. He has allowed just four runs over 31 innings in his past four starts. "I wanted to finish the game, but I just couldn't do it," Carpenter said. "I couldn't get the leadoff guy in the ninth, and they weren't going to leave me out there with 120 pitches to go through the middle of their lineup." Aaron Harang (4-6) has lost all four starts in June. He gave up five runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. Astros 7, Rockies 0 At Houston, Pettitte (4-7) improved to 3-3 with a 3.15 ERA at Minute Maid Park this season. He tied his season high with eight strikeouts, walking only one. He was pitching on little rest, having stayed up all night with his wife and newborn son. But the Astros made it easier for the left-hander, opening a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Jason Lane's two-run double and Adam Everett's RBI single off Joe Kennedy (3-7). "I was up all day yesterday and all day today just sitting at the hospital," Pettitte said. "I was a little worn down. It seemed like two long days. "But I was able to come out and get in a real good rhythm early and that helped me a lot." John Franco and Chad Qualls each worked a hitless inning to finish Houston's fifth shutout of the season. Nationals 7, Pirates 4 At Pittsburgh, Livan Hernandez (10-2) induced four double-play grounders in winning his ninth consecutive decision, and Jose Guillen homered twice for Washington. Mark Redman (4-5) was the loser. Padres 1, Dodgers 0 At San Diego, Jake Peavy (6-2) struck out a career-high 13 and held Los Angeles to two hits in eight innings. Brian Giles went 3-for-3 with a walk, including a one-out RBI double in the fourth inning. Trevor Hoffman finished for his 18th save and the 411th of his career. Brad Penny (3-4) allowed one run and six hits in six innings. Giants 8, Diamondbacks 3 At San Francisco, Pedro Feliz hit a three-run homer and Mike Matheny followed with another homer to lead the Giants. Noah Lowry (4-6) gave up six hits in 5 2-3 scoreless innings. Diamondbacks starter Javier Vazquez (7-5) was tagged for 10 hits for the fourth time this season and the third in five starts. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.