St. Louis ? All Carlos Zambrano needed to end a bad month was a start against St. Louis.

He entered Saturday’s game with a 1-2 record and a 6.91 ERA, but continued his mastery of St. Louis, pitching seven innings of one-run ball to help the Chicago Cubs win, 8-1.

Zambrano (2-2) is unbeaten against the Cardinals in his last eight starts, going 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA (582â3 innings) over that stretch. He ended a three-game winless streak by allowing one run and seven hits with two strikeouts.

He said that that he did all the necessary things to be successful Saturday.

“I felt good and I made my pitches and I threw my pitches ahead in the count,” Zambrano said. “It’s nothing against the Cardinals.”

Zambrano had plenty of help from his teammates. Jacque Jones hit a bases-loaded triple as part of a seven-run fifth inning and went 3-for-4 overall with four RBIs. Derrek Lee continued his hot start for the Cubs, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Lee has reached safely in all 23 games he’s played and is batting .391 (36-for-92).

“I never remember getting two hits in an inning before,” Jones said. “I got a couple of hits when I needed them. It’s a team game, so I did my job.”

As for Zambrano, he is just happy to be starting a new month.

“It’s good to see April gone and another month coming,” Zambrano said. “We still have the rest of the season.”

Reds 8, Pirates 1

Pittsburgh – Matt Belisle didn’t allow a baserunner until the sixth inning and finished with a five-hitter for his first complete game, and Cincinnati ended Pittsburgh’s five-game winning streak.

Pittsburgh’s Tom Gorzelanny (3-1) retired the first 11 he faced until struggling.

Astros 10, Brewers 1

Houston – Craig Biggio had a triple and three RBIs, and Houston snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Lance Berkman, Mark Loretta and Adam Everett each had two RBIs, and the Astros shook out of an offensive slump with their highest run total of the season.

Marlins 11, Phillies 5

Philadelphia – Miguel Cabrera had a career-best five hits for Florida, and Dontrelle Willis won despite struggling through 61â3 innings.

Cabrera had four singles and his seventh homer of the year. Josh Willingham added a three-run home run.

Braves 6, Rockies 2

Denver – John Smoltz continued his mastery of Colorado, and Chipper Jones drove in two runs for Atlanta.

Smoltz (3-1) allowed two runs and nine hits and struck out eight in seven innings to improve to 11-4 with nine saves and a 3.43 ERA in his career against the Rockies.

Mets 6, Nationals 2, 12 inn.

Washington – Carlos Beltran and David Wright delivered two-run hits in the 12th inning for New York.

Beltran’s double down the first-base line off Ryan Wagner snapped a 2-2 tie, and Wright’s single to left tacked on two more runs.

Padres 3, Dodgers 2

San Diego – Trevor Hoffman rebounded from two straight blown save opportunities to close the door on Los Angeles, sealing the win for Greg Maddux and San Diego.

Diamondbacks 5, Giants 4

Phoenix – Barry Bonds hit his 742nd career home run for San Francisco. Scott Hairston hit his 14th, and it lifted Arizona.

Hairston, a pinch-hitter, hit reliever Vinnie Chulk’s first pitch 418 feet into the left-field seats with two runners on to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning.