National League Roundup: Cubs keep winning without Sosa

? Two weeks away from Wrigley Field without Sammy Sosa would have crushed Chicago in the past.

These aren’t the same Cubs.

Moises Alou hit three RBI singles, and Carlos Zambrano pitched 61¼3 strong innings as Chicago finished off a long road trip with a 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

The NL Central-leading Cubs took two of three in Houston to go 8-5 on the trip despite missing Sosa, who is on the disabled list.

“I’m just glad it’s over,” manager Dusty Baker said. “I knew this would be a tough stretch, but we played hard and we played well. I can’t say that we surpassed our expectations. We knew what we had to do, we just didn’t know how we would do it without Sammy.”

The Cubs won eight games on a trip for the first time since going 8-2 in 1993. One game was rained out on the trip — Chicago’s longest scheduled stretch away from home since a 15-game trip in 1983.

Alou hit RBI singles in the third, fifth and seventh innings against his former team.

Zambrano (5-4) allowed three runs, five hits and five walks. He struck out five.

Houston’s Jeff Bagwell went 0-for-4 to stretch his slump to 6-for-35.

Wade Miller (2-6) allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in five innings to take the loss.

Dodgers 5, Brewers 1

Houston catcher brad ausmus tries to tag Chicago's Hee Seop Choi at home plate. Choi was called safe on the play Sunday at Houston, and Ausmus was ejected for arguing. The Cubs won, 7-3.

Milwaukee — Kevin Brown took a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning, and Fred McGriff and Paul Lo Duca homered as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to 10 games. Brown (6-1) struck out eight and walked one in winning his fifth consecutive decision over seven starts since April 18.

Braves 3, Mets 1

Atlanta — Marcus Giles hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth, and Greg Maddux pitched seven scoreless innings to the delight of a season-high crowd of 41,432 in Atlanta.

John Smoltz pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 20 attempts. Smoltz extended his major league record for pitching in consecutive team victories to 72.

Expos 5, Phillies 3

Montreal — Brian Schneider hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh, and Javier Vazquez pitched seven strong innings in Montreal’s last game at Olympic Stadium until June 20. The Expos, playing 22 home games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this season to try to boost revenue, will play their next 22 games away from Montreal.

Marlins 6, Reds 2

Cincinnati — Dontrelle Willis (2-1) pitched eight shutout innings in his fourth major league start as Florida completed a rare three-game sweep.

Derrek Lee had three hits, including a solo homer, and Mike Lowell hit his 16th homer off Danny Graves (3-3) to cap a triumphant homecoming for manager Jack McKeon.

Pirates 8, Cardinals 7

Pittsburgh — Aramis Ramirez drove in three runs, and St. Louis’ usually flawless defense committed a costly error that led to Pittsburgh’s four-run sixth inning.

Kenny Lofton doubled in an insurance run following Abraham Nunez’s go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh, running his hitting streak to 23 games — the Pirates’ longest since Al Oliver’s 23-game run in 1974.

Rockies 5, Giants 1

Denver — Darren Oliver pitched six scoreless innings and hit an RBI double to win for the first time in nearly a month.

Greg Norton hit a two-run double in the seventh inning for Colorado, which won for just the third time in nine games. San Francisco, playing without injured Barry Bonds for the second straight game, has lost 10 of 15.

D’backs 9, Padres 5

Phoenix — Mark Grace hit a two-run homer and Elmer Dessens became the first Arizona starter with four wins.

David Dellucci also drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who sent San Diego to its 10th loss in 11 games. Dessens (4-4) allowed five runs on nine hits in 52¼3 innings, striking out six.

San Diego reliever Charles Nagy (0-2) squandered a 4-3 lead by giving up four runs in two innings.