Marlins top the Phillies yet again

PHILADELPHIA — Rick VandenHurk overcame Ryan Howard's early home run and the Florida Marlins once again beat the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies, 7-2 Friday night.

Cameron Maybin had four hits, scored three times and drove in a run, and Jorge Cantu drove in three runs. The Marlins have won six of the last seven against the Phillies.

Howard's 44th homer accounted for the Phillies' only runs. He connected in the first inning and leads the majors with 140 RBIs.

Joe Blanton (12-8) was shaky for the second straight outing, allowing five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings.

ROCKIES 4, DODGERS 3: At Los Angeles, Ubaldo Jimenez struck out 10 and streaking Colorado forced the NL West race down to the final two games, beating first-place Los Angeles 4-3 Friday night. With both teams already assured playoff spots, the Rockies cut the Dodgers' division lead to one game. Colorado needs to sweep the three-game series to win the West. The Rockies won their fifth in a row and Dodgers lost their fifth straight. Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer and Yorvit Torrealba had a two-run double for the Rockies. Dodgers star Manny Ramirez struck out all four times up, matching a career high.

DIAMONDBACKS 12, CUBS 3: At Chicago, Eric Byrnes had his first multihomer game in more than two years and drove in five runs. Chris Young homered and had four hits, and Rusty Ryal drove in four runs for Arizona (69-91), which already is assured of finishing last in the NL West. The Diamondbacks have missed the playoffs two years in a row since sweeping the Cubs in the first round in 2007 and then losing in four games to Colorado.

PIRATES 3, REDS 1: At Cincinnati, Rookie Daniel McCutchen pitched into the seventh inning for his first major league win and Lastings Milledge homered. Andy LaRoche drove in two runs despite twice being thrown out trying to stretch singles into doubles. McCutchen held the Reds scoreless until Wladimir Balentien's 467-foot home run.

METS 7, ASTROS 1: At New York, Jeff Francoeur and Daniel Murphy each hit two-run homers and David Wright had an RBI double in the first and finished with three hits for New York, which had lost four of five — including an embarrassing three-game sweep at Washington. Wandy Rodriguez (14-12) completed a breakout season with six effective innings for Houston.