PHILADELPHIA — It seems almost every bounce and roll is going the Chicago Cubs’ way. Even the ones off the starting pitcher.

Tom Gorzelanny threw 62/3 shutout innings and Starlin Castro and Jeff Baker had RBI singles to lead the Cubs to their fourth straight win with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.

“Good pitching,” said Cubs Manager Lou Piniella, on the reason for his team’s winning streak. “We’ve been pitching well. Good pitching is how teams streak.”

And how teams fail when facing it. Gorzelanny kept them off-balance until he was struck by Carlos Ruiz’s line drive in the seventh inning.

Ruiz’s one-out shot struck Gorzelanny’s left ring finger, then rolled toward first. He retrieved the ball and flipped underhanded to Derrek Lee, who scooped it for the out. After a mound conference Gorzelanny left.

John Grabow finished the seventh, but ran into trouble in the eighth, when the Phillies threatened with Ryan Howard up with one out and runners on first and third.

Grabow made a nice play on a slow roller for the second out, nipping Howard at first while a run scored. Carlos Zambrano got the final out of the inning.

 

NATIONALS 5, METS 3: Angel Pagan hit an inside-the-park home run and started a triple play, but New York lost at Washington.

Pagan became the first player in 55 years to take part in both feats in the same game.

 

MARLINS 5, CARDINALS 1: Hanley Ramirez returned to the lineup with three hits and Anibal Sanchez threw seven impressive innings as Florida won at St. Louis.

 

BRAVES 5, REDS 4: Jason Heyward hit an RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning, giving Atlanta a win over visiting Cincinnati.

 

ASTROS 7, ROCKIES 3: Cory Sullivan hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, Jeff Keppinger drove in a career-high four runs and host Houston snapped a five-game losing streak.

 

PIRATES 6, BREWERS 4: Ryan Doumit drove in the go-ahead run and Steve Pearce added his third hit during a three-run seventh inning as Pittsburgh handed visiting Milwaukee its ninth straight loss.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ANGELS 3, WHITE SOX 2: Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer and Joe Saunders pitched 72/3 strong innings to lead Los Angeles to a win at Chicago.

 

RANGERS 4, ORIOLES 3: A Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Texas a win at home.

 

ROYALS 8, INDIANS 4: Yuniesky Betancourt hit a three-run double in a five-run ninth inning as Kansas City rallied to win at Cleveland.