NL roundup: Cardinals top D-backs

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols hit two homers to add to his major league-leading total and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Friday night.

The multi home run game was the eighth for Pujols, who has 34 homers and 89 RBIs, which also leads the majors. He has 31 multi home run games in his career.

Chris Carpenter (8-3) blanked the Diamondbacks over eight innings, allowing seven hits and striking out seven.

Miguel Montero hit a homer off reliever Jason Motte for Arizona’s only run.

Reds 4, Brewers 0

CINCINNATI — Bronson Arroyo gave his second straight scoreless performance, this one lasting seven innings, and the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of Edwin Encarnacion’s four hits and two Milwaukee errors to beat the Brewers.

Arroyo (10-8) was coming off his best showing of the season, a four-hitter for a 3-0 win over the Mets on Saturday. He kept his scoreless streak going by giving up five hits.

Encarnacion tied his career high with four hits, including a solo homer that left him 7 for 7 in the first two games of the series.

The Reds took control with three unearned runs off Jeff Suppan (5-7), who hasn’t won in more than month.

Cubs 3, Nationals 1

WASHINGTON — Carlos Zambrano worked five effective innings after a shaky start and hit a key two-run double, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Washington Nationals.

Zambrano (6-4) gave up an unearned run and four singles to win his second consecutive start after going 0-2 in his previous six outings. He struck out four and walked four in a 113-pitch effort as the Cubs won for the fourth time in five games.

Braves 11, Mets 0

ATLANTA — Brian McCann drove in four runs in the first three innings, Jair Jurrjens combined with three relievers on a two-hitter and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets.

The slumping Mets lost Gary Sheffield to a right leg injury in the fifth inning and were shut out for the sixth time in 22 games since All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran went on the disabled list, going 8-14. The Mets have scored just 68 runs in that span.

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