Arizona: LF Jason Kubel set his career high with 29 home runs by hitting two in an 8-5 victory over San Diego on Saturday night. Kubel had 28 with Minnesota in 2009. He leads the Diamondbacks in homers and RBI (86). … After doubling in the third inning Sunday, CF Adam Eaton has hit safely in all five games since his contract was purchased from Class AAA Reno on Sept. 4. Eaton, promoted after CF Chris Young (quadriceps) was injured Sept. 3, started in center field and hit leadoff in all five games.
Atlanta: 3B Chipper Jones did not start Sunday, his final game in New York after having played the first two games of the series with fluid building in his left knee. He brought out the lineup card before the game and also walked as a pinch hitter in the ninth. … SS Andrelton Simmons (broken right pinkie) is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday in Milwaukee after playing rehab games at three minor league levels.
Chicago: RHP Jeff Samardzija pitched the Cubs’ first complete game of the season Saturday, beating the Pirates 4-3 in his final start of the season. He was shut down because of innings pitched — a career-high 174 2/3 in his first full season as a major league starting pitcher. … Darwin Barney set an NL record with his 124th consecutive game without an error at second base Saturday, passing Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg (123 in 1989-90). Barney extended it to 125 games Sunday.
Cincinnati: With his 33rd home run Saturday, RF Jay Bruce became the first player to hit at least 20 home runs as a rookie and improve on that total each of the next four seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Bruce had 21 homers as a rookie in 2008, 22 in 2009, 25 in 2010 and 32 last season. … SS Zack Cozart (strained left side muscle) and 3B Scott Rolen (lower back soreness) remained sidelined with injuries Sunday.
Colorado: RHP Alex White, the scheduled starter Tuesday against the Giants, has gone less than five innings in seven consecutive starts and has lost five decisions in a row. White has made 12 winless starts since his last victory June 3. … The Rockies had a franchise-record streak of 36 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run end in the seventh inning Friday. The previous club record was 27 innings (April 17-20, 2001). The 36-inning streak tied for the second longest in the majors since 2000.
Houston: 3B Brandon Laird (flu symptoms) missed all three games of the Astros’ series in Cincinnati, in which he was supposed to see most of the action. “He’s in quarantine at the hotel,” manager Tony DeFrancesco said. … SS Jed Lowrie (leg injuries) could be back by the middle of the week. He moved his rehab assignment from Class AA Corpus Christi (Texas) to high-A Lancaster (Calif.) on Saturday.
Los Angeles: CF Matt Kemp was held out of the starting lineup for two consecutive games after taking a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. An MRI revealed inflammation and a frayed labrum. Kemp, who is in a 3-for-30 slump, hopes to return to the lineup Tuesday in Arizona. … LHP Clayton Kershaw was scratched from his start Sunday with left hip soreness. Kershaw, who received a cortisone shot in the hip Saturday, said he hopes to start Tuesday. … IF Adam Kennedy could be out for the season after sustaining a pulled right groin for the second time this season.
Miami: LHP Mark Buehrle pitched seven innings Saturday, pushing his season total to 180 2/3 innings. He will get three more starts, and he will need to average just under seven innings to notch a 12th consecutive season of 200 innings. … After striking out the side in his major league debut Sept. 4, RH reliever A.J. Ramos has allowed home runs in each of his past two outings. Before being called up, he had allowed three home runs in 68 2/3 innings for Class AA Jacksonville.
Milwaukee: 1B Corey Hart left the game in the fifth inning with a mild sprain of his left ankle. Hart said he felt a burning sensation in the ankle and will have it examined Tuesday. He is 8-for-18 (.444) with three doubles, one homer, five RBI and five runs in his past five games. … 3B Aramis Ramirez (lower back strain) returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games. He had three hits Saturday but went 0-for-4 Sunday.
New York: CF Andres Torres (bruised left knee) returned to the lineup Sunday after missing most of the past two games. … RHP Jenrry Mejia will get a start Sept. 19, manager Terry Collins said. Mejia, who had better success for Class AAA Buffalo in the rotation than in relief, will start in RHP Matt Harvey’s previously scheduled spot. Harvey will start the day before, in place of RHP Collin McHugh.
Philadelphia: 3B Kevin Frandsen (left leg stress fracture) sat out the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, his third consecutive game out of the starting lineup. He said his status was day-to-day. … LH reliever Raul Valdes was placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to Sunday’s doubleheader, and he will undergo season-ending right knee surgery. Valdes hadn’t pitched since Aug. 30.
Pittsburgh: RH reliever Chad Qualls (left big toe irritation) was activated from the disabled list Sunday, and he got two outs in the eighth inning. He had been out since Aug. 25. … 2B Neil Walker (lower back tightness) missed his 12th consecutive game. He did swing left-handed off a tee, which was a significant development for the switch hitter, as he is still feeling pain in his left side.
St. Louis: RHP Jake Westbrook sustained a strained right side muscle while pitching Saturday. Westbrook will miss his next start and may be out for the rest of the season. … 1B Matt Carpenter, who was not wearing batting gloves, sustained cuts to fingers on both hands and his right palm when his bat shattered while he was hitting Saturday. He returned Sunday and went 2-for-5 with an RBI double.
San Diego: RF Chris Denorfia extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a homer leading off the sixth inning. Denorfia is 13-for-34 (.382) during the streak, with a double, three home runs, nine RBI and seven runs. … LF Carlos Quentin returned to the lineup Sunday after missing three of the previous five games with irritation in the right knee that was surgically repaired last spring training. He went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run.
San Francisco: C Buster Posey threw out SS Hanley Ramirez twice and RF Andre Ethier once Saturday trying to steal bases, giving him a 28.5 percent success rate against would-be stealers. It was the first time Posey had thrown out three runners in one game. Posey said RHP Matt Cain “did a great job of being quick to the plate, and that’s half the battle.” … RF Hunter Pence had the first sacrifice bunt of his six-year career, moving Posey to third base in the seventh inning Saturday. 1B Brandon Belt followed with an RBI single.
Washington: LH reliever Sean Burnett (elbow inflammation) threw a baseball in the outfield before Saturday’s game against the Marlins. He has not pitched in a game since Sept. 2, but he could return in the Mets series this week. … SS Ian Desmond and 3B Ryan Zimmerman were not in the starting lineup Sunday. Saturday’s game took nearly six hours, including a 2 1/2-hour rain delay, and manager Davey Johnson likes to rest his veterans as September progresses.