NL Capsules

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ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Jeff Locke pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and Russell Martin had two of Pittsburgh's four home runs in a 9-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday that gave the Pirates a series win and the NL Central lead.

Jones had three hits and John McDonald added an RBI double for Pittsburgh, which ended rookie Shelby Miller's streak of 14 scoreless innings at home to start the season. The Pirates have won nine of 12 overall, leapfrogging St. Louis for first place.

Locke (3-1) has worked 13 scoreless innings while allowing five hits his last two starts. The Cardinals got just three singles and advanced two runners into scoring position against the 25-year-old left-hander, who earned the fifth spot in the rotation with a strong spring.

Justin Wilson allowed a walk the last two innings to wrap up the Pirates' fifth shutout, tied for the league lead with St. Louis and San Francisco.

Miller (3-2) struggled to put away hitters and was taken out after 113 pitches and giving up two homers in 5 2-3 innings.

MARLINS 6, CUBS 4

MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in four runs, helping the Marlins avert a four-game series sweep.

Ricky Nolasco (2-2) gave up three runs in seven innings and retired the final 15 batters he faced. The Marlins improved to 6-19, still worst in the majors, and 3-10 at home.

They benefited from a rare offensive outburst, scoring more than three runs for only the fifth time this season and twice coming from behind.

Stanton waited 65 at-bats to hit his first homer Saturday, then hit another in the first inning off Carlos Villanueva (1-1) to put Miami ahead 2-1. He homered again leading off in the eighth against Kameron Loe.

Chicago's Dioner Navarro went deep in the ninth against Steve Cishek, who nonetheless earned his third save in four chances.

PHILLIES 5, METS 1

NEW YORK -- Ryan Howard snapped a seventh-inning tie with a pinch-hit double, Cole Hamels earned his first win of the season and the Phillies took advantage of a crucial Mets error to finish a three-game sweep.

Freddy Galvis homered, Chase Utley had an RBI single and Hamels (1-3) overcame six walks, which matched his career high. The left-hander held the Mets to two hits and struck out eight over six innings in his fourth consecutive solid outing.

All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz went 1 for 4 with a double in his return to the Phillies from a 25-game amphetamine suspension. Even on the road, the popular Ruiz was greeted warmly with a chorus of "Choooooch," and one fan held a sign welcoming him back.

Jonathon Niese (2-2) allowed one earned run in 6 2-3 innings for New York, showing no ill effects from the comebacker that hit him near the right ankle and knocked him out of his previous start Tuesday.

REDS 5, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON -- Tony Cingrani struck out a career-high 11 -- including four in one inning -- while pitching two-hit ball through the sixth, and the Reds avoided a four-game series sweep.

Brandon Phillips had a two-run single as the Reds (14-12) improved to a major league-worst 2-9 on the road.

Cingrani (2-0) pitched three perfect innings before Denard Span reached leading off the fourth on a strikeout and wild pitch. Danny Espinosa followed with a double, but Cingrani struck out three more hitters to escape the inning without allowing any runs.

He joined Joe Nuxhall, Mario Soto, Tim Birtsas and Frankie Rodriguez as the only Reds with a four-strikeout inning.

Washington's Ross Detwiler (1-2) allowed three earned runs in five innings, and his 11 hits allowed matched a career high.

Aroldis Chapman earned his fifth save in five opportunities.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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