Miami ? Florida Marlins right-hander Josh Beckett surprised himself by beating Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.

Beckett pitched seven innings and had an RBI single to help Florida to the 2-0 victory, the Marlins’ second straight shutout over the Padres.

“You go into a game against Peavy just hoping to get a no-decision,” Beckett said. “If you keep your team in the game, you feel pretty good.”

Beckett (12-6) allowed four hits, two walks and struck out six in winning his fourth straight decision.

Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 26th save. The shutout tied Florida’s team record of 14 set last year.

Peavy (10-6) allowed two runs, five hits, three walks and struck out nine in losing consecutive starts for the only second time this season.

“This is as bad as it gets. I don’t know what it takes to win a ballgame,” Peavy said. “I’m not going to blame the hitters. I didn’t do my job.”

Mike Lowell led off the second with his third career triple. Following strikeouts by Alex Gonzalez and Matt Treanor, Lowell scored on Beckett’s bloop single to center.

Florida's Josh Beckett pitches against San Diego. Beckett tossed seven shutout innings and had an RBI single in the Marlins' 2-0 victory Thursday in Miami.

Treanor’s run-scoring single in the fourth gave Florida a 2-0 lead.

Although Florida’s top four hitters were a combined 0-for-13, Nos. 8 and 9 – Treanor and Beckett – knocked in the runs.

“We can do the same thing,” Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. “We’re just not doing it.”

The Padres, who were shut out on five hits by Dontrelle Willis on Wednesday night, put together their most serious threat in the seventh. Beckett retired pinch-hitter Eric Young on a pop up to third with runners on second and third and one out. Then, following a walk to pinch-hitter Robert Fick, Dave Roberts struck out.

“We might be struggling, but those are two good quality pitchers,” Young said. “Dontrelle wasn’t an All-Star for nothing. And Beckett, if he had been healthy, would have been an All-Star, too.”

Brewers 5, Astros 2

Houston – Milwaukee scored four runs off Roger Clemens in the seventh inning to rally past Houston. Damian Miller’s bases-loaded, two-run double put the Brewers ahead and highlighted the seventh inning as Milwaukee won its third straight and fourth in the last five games.

Clemens (11-5) gave up a season-high five earned runs and lost for the first time since July 17. He was 4-0 in five starts since then. Clemens retired the first seven hitters before Miller had a bloop single to right in the third.

Dodgers 7, Braves 4

Atlanta – Jeff Weaver won his fourth straight decision, and Milton Bradley hit a three-run homer as Los Angeles defeated Atlanta. The Dodgers, 10 games under .500, are only four games behind first-place San Diego in the NL West after the Padres’ 2-0 loss to Florida on Thursday night.

Weaver (11-8) gave up 10 hits and four runs – three earned – in six innings. He has pitched at least six innings in 16 consecutive starts, a career-best streak.

Duaner Sanchez pitched the ninth for his second save.

Phillies 2-4, Nationals 1-5

Philadelphia – Carlos Baerga’s go-ahead single in the eighth inning lifted Washington to a 5-4 victory and a split of a day-night doubleheader with Philadelphia.

In the opener, Vicente Padilla kept up his recent run of strong starts, and Bobby Abreu delivered a key two-RBI double in Philadelphia’s 2-1 victory.

The Nationals had been shut down twice in the late innings by Philadelphia’s bullpen the last two games only to rally against Ugueth Urbina (3-1) in the eighth.

Urbina pitched a scoreless eighth the last two games against the Nationals – including one stint only hours earlier – but blew a 4-3 lead and wasted a chance for the Phillies to build on their NL wild-card lead.

Diamondbacks 9, Cardinals 2

St. Louis – Claudio Vargas worked six solid innings, and Luis Gonzalez homered twice, helping Arizona beat St. Louis to avoid a three-game sweep.

Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis had an infield hit and an RBI double his first two at-bats, giving him six straight hits, before flying out in the seventh. He leads all pitchers with 25 hits.

Pirates 5, Mets 0

New York – Rookie Zach Duke of Pittsburgh won his sixth straight decision, limiting New York to two hits in seven innings. Pitching with the poise of a veteran, the 22-year-old left-hander allowed just four baserunners. He struck out five and walked one.

Reds 4, Giants 2

Cincinnati – Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 530th career home run, and Felipe Lopez also connected as Cincinnati avoided a sweep against San Francisco. Ramon Ortiz pitched a season-high 72â3 innings in helping prevent the Giants’ first four-game sweep in Cincinnati since May 1983.