Maddux helps Padres move back atop West

SAN FRANCISCO -- Greg Maddux was more interested in discussing today's upcoming NBA Draft and the great golf courses in San Francisco than his own success.

"When's the draft?" Maddux asked after another strong outing.

In the same ballpark where he won his 300th career game in 2004, the 41-year-old Las Vegan earned his 340th victory, outpitching someone nearly half his age to lead the San Diego Padres past the San Francisco Giants 4-2 Wednesday.

The Padres climbed into a virtual tie with Arizona for the National League West lead, a half-game ahead of the Dodgers.

Maddux (7-4) won for the fourth time in five decisions, getting help from Jose Cruz Jr.'s go-ahead single in the eighth inning. That followed a two-out double by Marcus Giles.

"It'll always be kind of cool," Maddux said of pitching in San Francisco. "I like the city. It's a nice park."

The Padres took the rubber game of the series. All three game were close and decided late, with the Giants winning 4-3 in 11 innings Monday and the Padres rebounding with a 3-2, 10-inning victory.

Maddux gave up one run and five hits in seven innings. The soft tosser won an intriguing duel against one of the majors' top up-and-coming power pitchers in 22-year-old Matt Cain (2-9).

"He's not afraid to pitch from behind," Cain said of Maddux. "He can throw every pitch. When he first came into the league, he was throwing 90 mph. He had to learn how to pitch later on. He's amazing."

Trevor Hoffman finished for his 503rd career save and 21st in 23 chances this season. Barry Bonds was on deck as a pinch hitter when Mark Sweeney grounded out to end the game.

Bonds has hit eight of his 749 career homers in 127 at-bats against Maddux, and got the day off.

• Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 0 -- At Phoenix, Brandon Webb overcame wildness and threw seven shutout innings to lead Arizona over Los Angeles.

After losing the first two games of the four-game series, the Diamondbacks looked to the reigning NL Cy Young winner to lift them back into first place with San Diego in the NL West. Webb (8-5) struck out three, allowed seven hits and issued a season-high five walks.

Chad Tracy hit a sacrifice fly and Eric Byrnes singled in a run for Arizona.

Luis Gonzalez and James Loney each had three singles for the Dodgers. Derek Lowe (8-7) allowed three hits through six innings.

• Brewers 6, Astros 3 -- At Milwaukee, Damian Miller hit his first homer of the season, a three-run shot in the 11th that lifted Milwaukee over Houston.

The Brewers won for the 12th time in 14 games and improved the NL's best record to 46-32.

Dave Bush (6-6) pitched the final two innings in his first relief appearance of the season. He has made 15 starts.

Houston's Craig Biggio, three hits shy of 3,000, did not start. He pinch hit in the 11th and popped out on a sacrifice bunt.

• Reds 9, Phillies 6 -- At Philadelphia, Javier Valentin hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning and Adam Dunn added a two-run homer to lead Cincinnati past Philadelphia.

Phillies slugger Ryan Howard hit his 100th career homer in his 325th game, becoming the fastest player to reach that total. Ralph Kiner had been the fastest, hitting 100 homers in 385 games for Pittsburgh in the late 1940s.

The Phillies' Jamie Moyer didn't allow a hit until Josh Hamilton's single with two outs in the sixth. But the 44-year-old lefty couldn't last past the seventh.

• Mets 2, Cardinals 0 -- At New York, Tom Glavine earned his 297th win, pitching one-hit ball for six innings in a rain-shortened shutout to lead New York past St. Louis.

David Wright hit a two-run homer off Anthony Reyes (0-10) in the first, and the NL East leaders made it stand up.

Scott Rolen's second-inning infield single was the only hit off Glavine (7-5), who earned his 25th shutout. After walking Aaron Miles with two outs in the second, Glavine retired his final 13 batters.

The 41-year-old left-hander improved to 20-6 in 37 starts against St. Louis.

• Braves 13, Nationals 0 -- At Atlanta, Chipper Jones drove in four runs to back John Smoltz, helping Atlanta beat Washington to sweep the three-game series.

The Braves had 22 hits and scored in six of the first seven innings. Yunel Escobar had four hits and scored four runs, Jeff Francoeur finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and Edgar Renteria had three hits and drove in two runs.

Smoltz (9-4) struck out seven, leaving for a pinch runner in the fifth.

• Cubs 6, Rockies 4 -- At Chicago, Carlos Zambrano won for the fourth time in five starts, and Chicago beat Colorado to extend its longest winning streak in two years to six games.

Mark DeRosa hit a three-run homer and Mike Fontenot added a solo shot for the Cubs. The Rockies have lost a season-high six straight.

Zambrano (9-6) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, improving to 4-1 since his dugout fight with former teammate Michael Barrett.

• Pirates 7, Marlins 5 -- At Miami, Xavier Nady and Ryan Doumit hit back-to-back home runs with two outs in the 10th inning and Pittsburgh beat Florida.

Marlins reliever Kevin Gregg (0-3) retired the first two hitters in the 10th. Then Nady hit his second solo home run of the game to give Pittsburgh a 6-5 lead. Four pitches later, Doumit connected.

The Marlins have lost four straight.