Associated Press
The NL roundup…
CHICAGO ó Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena homered to back a dominant start by Rodrigo Lopez, and Chicago beat Philadelphia 6-1 on Monday night as Phillies ace Roy Halladay left the game because of the heat.
Halladay doubled over and was visited by a trainer after Starlin Castro led off the fifth inning with a single. Drew Carpenter came in to replace him.
Halladay was drenched in sweat on a humid night in which the game-time temperature was 91. The heat clearly affected him.
He gave up three runs and seven hits and took his first loss since May 15.
This was Halladayís shortest outing since he pitched three innings for Toronto against Florida on June 12, 2009.
Ramirez gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first with his 17th homer. Chicago added two runs in the third on Ramirezís bases-loaded sacrifice fly and Penaís RBI single.
Lopez gave up a leadoff homer to Jimmy Rollins in the fourth. He allowed five hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Nationals 5, Astros 2
HOUSTON ó Michael Morse and Ryan Zimmerman homered and Zimmerman drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning for Washington.
Laynce Nix added two insurance runs with an RBI single after Zimmermanís hit in the ninth off Houston starter Jordan Lyles (0-5).
The rookie allowed five hits and four runs with six strikeouts in the longest outing of his career to remain winless in ninth career start.
Morse homered in the fifth inning and Zimmermanís came in the seventh.
Washington starter Jason Marquis (8-4) yielded six hits and two runs with a season high-tying nine strikeouts to get his first win since June 10.
Marlins 4, Mets 1
NEW YORK ó Clay Hensley came off the disabled list to win his first major league start in three years for Florida.
Mike Stanton hit a two-run double and slumping Mike Cameron followed with an RBI single for the Marlins, who have won nine of 10.
Florida improved to 15-9 under 80-year-old manager Jack McKeon, who took over after Edwin Rodriguez abruptly resigned late in the teamís 1-19 June swoon.
In the makeup of a May 17 rainout, Hensley (1-2) allowed one hit over five scoreless innings against a depleted Mets lineup. It was his 41st big league start ó but first since July 24, 2008, for San Diego at Pittsburgh. The right-hander made 20 relief appearances this season before a sprained shoulder sidelined him June 1.
A double by Willie Harris in the first inning was the only hit given up by Hensley, who struck out three and walked two in an 84-pitch outing. Michael Dunn, Edward Mujica, Randy Choate and Leo Nunez completed the three-hitter.
Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 1
PHOENIX ó Josh Collmenter pitched eight innings of three-hit ball for his first win in six weeks and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 Monday night in the opener of their four-game series.
The right-hander retired 21 of his last 22 batters in the longest outing of his rookie season. Yuniesky Betancourt reached on a bunt single leading off the sixth for Milwaukeeís only hit during the stretch.
Collmenter (5-5) struck out a career-best seven and walked none while running his scoreless streak to 14 innings, all against the Brewers over his last two starts.
Pirates 2, Reds 0
PITTSBURGH ó Charlie Morton pitched five shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates moved into first place in the crowded NL Central with a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Pittsburgh kicked off an important two-week stretch by shutting down the Reds after Morton (8-5) extricated himself from a bases-loaded jam in the first inning following a lengthy rain delay to win for the first time since June 15.
The right-hander gave up three hits, striking out three and walking two.
Joel Hanrahan pitched the ninth for his 27th save as Pittsburgh surged a half-game ahead of Milwaukee in the Central.
Dontrelle Willis (0-1) pitched well in his second start since being called up from Triple-A Louisville. The former All-Star surrendered two runs in 4 2-3 innings, striking out five and walking just one.