The Atlanta Braves found a new way to struggle. The Chicago Cubs just kept on flailing the same old way.
A night after a near-flawless performance on the heels of a four-error debacle, the Braves were one-hit by a recent callup and the Florida Marlins' bullpen in a 0-1 loss on Tuesday night, while Chicago failed to score more than two runs for the fifth time in six games since the All-Star break, losing 2-9 in Arizona.
Elsewhere in the National League, it was: Phillies 8, Mets 6; Brewers 4, Cardinals 3; Reds 4, Padres 3 (in 11 innings); Pirates 8, Astros 2; Rockies 10, Dodgers 1, and Giants 6, Nationals 3.
In the American League, it was: Yankees 8, Twins 2; Athletics 8, Rays 1; White Sox 10, Rangers 2; Blue Jays 10, Orioles 8; Red Sox 4, Mariners 2; Angels 3, Indians 2, and Tigers 7, Royals 1.
In Miami, Rick VandenHurk returned from a long stay in the minor leagues with a slider that baffled the Braves through five hitless innings.
Chipper Jones singled off reliever Joe Nelson to lead off the sixth, but no other Atlanta player got a hit all night.
Vanden Hurk (1-1) threw 94 pitches, mixing a fastball and a curve with his vexing slider. "I used it tonight and just tried to throw something off-speed that I could throw for strikes consistently," he said.
The Braves were without manager Bobby Cox, who served a one-game suspension for a tirade he threw in Sunday's loss to the Washington Nationals.
With the game scoreless, VandenHurk got into a jam when he walked three in a row to start the fourth inning.
He struck out Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson, and Mark Kotsay popped out.
"He gave us a chance, and we didn't take advantage of it," Cox said.
VandenHurk was sent to the minors in early April after giving up seven runs in 5 1/3 innings in his first two starts of the season. He was recalled to replace left-hander Andrew Miller, who was placed on the disabled list last week because of a sore knee.
The Cubs were also done in by a recent addition to the rotation. Yusmeiro Petit made his second big-league start of the season - one night after learning he was scheduled for it.
The short notice didn't diminish his effectiveness in five innings and Conor Jackson drove in three runs with a solo homer and two-run double for Arizona.
The Cubs are 1-4 since the All-Star break and have lost five of six.
In New York, Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth and drove in three runs, leading the surging Yankees past the Twins for their ninth consecutive victory at home.
"We're playing great right now," said Robinson Cano, who is hitting .522 since the All-Star break. "We're doing our job with men on base better than the first half."
Cano had two RBI singles in the win.
The home winning streak is New York's longest since a nine-game run in May 2005.
The Yankees (55-45) reached 10 games over .500 for the first time this year. They moved within 3 1/2 games of first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East, the closest they've been to first since May 14.
Minnesota, which is 1 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the AL Central, dropped to 3-18 at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2002 season. The Twins (55-45) have lost seven straight series in the Bronx.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily July 24, 2008)