Jorge Cantu of the Florida Marlins goes 0 for 4 in the second game of today’s doubleheader, ending his hitting streak at 21 games, dating back to last September. He still drives in the Marlins’ lone run in an 8 – 1 loss to the Rockies, giving him 20 RBI for the season. Cantu went 1 for 4 as Florida won the first game, 4 – 1. His hitting streak included a 10-game stretch to start the year during which he collected at least a hit and a RBI in each game.

After undergoing shoulder surgery in November 2009, Ted Lilly pitches six scoreless innings in his first start of the year for the Cubs, leading his team to a 5 – 1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Zambrano, who, in a controversial decision, was moved to the bullpen to make room for Lilly in the starting rotation, pitches an inning and a third in his first relief appearance in almost eight years. He gives up the Brewers’ sole run, but drives in one of the Cubs’ tallies with a sacrifice fly.

Wade LeBlanc pitches six scoreless innings and records his first win of the year as the Padres shut out the Reds, 5 – 0, for their eighth consecutive victory. Adrian Gonzalez, Will Venable and Yorvit Torrealba all hit home runs for the red-hot Padres.

All-Star Ben Zobrist agrees to a three-year contract extension with the Rays that guarantees him $18 million for 2010-13. The team’s MVP last season, obtained in 2006 from Houston in the Aubrey Huff trade, had agreed to a one-year deal in March worth $438,100.

The Rays’ 10-2 victory over Chicago concludes a 9-1 road trip, making it the team’s winningest road trip in the 13-year history of the franchise. Tampa’s success on the road translates into a 12-4 record overall, their best start ever.

The Mets beat the Braves, 5 – 2, as Ike Davis hits his first major league home run. There is an unusual play in the 7th inning: with the Mets leading 3 – 2 with two runners on base, Jose Reyes hits a high pop-up and the umpires invoke the infield fly rule. But 3B Chipper Jones crosses in front of SS Omar Infante in the windy conditions, and the ball glances off his glove and falls to the ground. C Brian McCann picks up the ball, and not realizing that Reyes is out automatically, goes after him. He relays the ball to 1B Eric Hinske, who tags both Reyes and the bag to no avail. While the Braves are busy flogging a dead horse, Angel Pagan races around the diamond for the Mets’ fourth run. Nippon Pro Baseball veteran Hisanori Takahashi replaces starter John Maine, who has to leave in the 4th inning with pain in his left elbow; he strikes out seven in three innings to pick up his first major league win.

There are other unusual plays in games today. In Kansas City, the Royals’ David DeJesus hits a long drive that bounces off the fence and back onto the field. Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer, convinced the ball went into the stands, does not chase it as DeJesus races around the bases for an inside-the-park homer; the Twins still win, 8 – 3. And at Chase Field, the Phillies’ Jayson Werth hits a high fly ball to right field in the 4th inning; Diamondbacks RF Chris Young is camped under it, but lets the ball drop to the ground and picks it up immediately. While Young is vainly trying to convince umpire Dale Scott that he did indeed make the catch, Werth does not stop running and makes it all the way home on a rare four-base error. In spite of the embarrassment, Arizona wins, 7 – 4.

The Pirates suffer the most lopsided loss in team history, falling 20 – 0 to the Brewers, who complete a three-game sweep in which they outscored Pittsburgh 36 – 1. Milwaukee collects 25 hits; Ryan Braun, Prince Fielderand George Kottaras go deep, for the benefit of Randy Wolf.