MILWAUKEE — Carlos Zambrano figured he'd have to be perfect against fellow ace Ben Sheets.

The big right-hander often is when facing the Brewers.

Zambrano outpitched Sheets again, and the Chicago Cubs scored five runs in the sixth inning to beat Milwaukee, 7-1, last night, assuring they'll leave town leading the NL Central.

"Against any team, any good team, if you're aggressive and you're ahead in the count and you go out there and don't try to do too much, just trying to do your job, things can happen when you hit the spots," Zambrano said.

Zambrano (12-4) did much more than that. He was brilliant in eight scoreless innings, striking out a season-high nine while scattering five hits and two walks to lift the Cubs to their sixth win in the last eight games in Milwaukee.

"He has got so many pitches, and he'll just throw them everywhere — inside, outside, make up stuff. I think you could have fun pitching like that," Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron said. "He stayed around 91, 92 (mph), but it was cutting, sinking, diving, everything."

In a much-hyped series between the NL's top teams, Chicago pushed its division lead to three games and left the Brewers, losers of four of their last five, empty after pitching aces CC Sabathia and Sheets.

Chicago got to Sheets (10-4) with seven straight hits to start the sixth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate to break open a 1-0 game.

"They outplayed us in every facet of the game, starting on the mound," Sheets said.

Derrek Lee singled and Aramis Ramirez, who had four hits, doubled to the wall to bring up struggling Kosuke Fukudome. He flared a ball to left field that Ryan Braun tried to catch with an ill-advised dive.

Braun, who doesn't have an error this year after committing 26 at third base last season, missed and the ball rolled to the wall, leaving Fukudome with a two-run triple.

Mets 4, Marlins 1: Carlos Delgado hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and Oliver Perez (7-6) left with a 2-1 lead after scattering five hits and walking three over six innings, helping visiting New York beat Florida.

The Mets were nursing a one-run lead in the eighth when cleanup hitter Delgado faked a bunt, then hit his 23rd homer three pitches later.

Phillies 2, Nationals 1: Brett Myers (4-9) won for only the second time in 15 outings, giving up a run on four hits over seven innings, and Chase Utley hit his 26th homer, a two-run shot and first since July 7, to lead visiting Philadelphia over Washington.

Utley provided all the offense by driving a 1-0 pitch from Collin Balester (1-3) over the wall in right after Jimmy Rollins singled in the third.

Cardinals 8, Braves 3: Albert Pujols homered to tie the game at 2 in the sixth and scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the eighth, and visiting St. Louis broke it open with a five-run ninth that was capped by Yadier Molina's two-run single.

The Cardinals won their second straight after a stretch of six losses in seven games. The Braves have surrendered 42 runs during a four-game losing streak.

Pirates 6, Rockies 4: Luis Rivas had three hits, three RBIs and finished a home run short of the cycle as host Pittsburgh rallied for a second straight game to beat Colorado.

Nate McLouth and Jason Bay both had two hits for the Pirates, who came back from a 4-0 deficit. Kaua'i High and UH-Hilo alum Tyler Yates pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

Astros 6, Reds 2: Carlos Lee hit his 12th career grand slam and Brian Moehler (6-4) allowed seven hits and struck out three in 8 2/3 innings to lead hot Houston over Cincinnati.

Miguel Tejada added a solo homer and Hunter Pence had an RBI triple for the Astros, who have won their last eight games against the Reds. The Astros have won three straight overall and four of five.

Diamondbacks 3, Padres 0: Arizona's Doug Davis (4-6) gave up a single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break up his bid for a perfect game and two relievers finished up a two-hitter as NL-West leading Arizona beat San Diego.

The Padres had not come close to reaching base against Davis through 6 2/3 innings before Brian Giles hit a line drive to center field on a 2-2 pitch.

Dodgers 2, Giants 0: Jason Johnson (1-0) scattered five hits over six innings in his first major league start in nearly two years and James Loney had an RBI single off Matt Cain in the bottom of the sixth for a 1-0 lead as Los Angeles beat San Francisco.

Chan Ho Park pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings and Jonathan Broxton got four outs for his fifth save as the Dodgers posted their third shutout in four games.