FLORIDA 6, ATLANTA 2
ATLANTA Cody Ross drove in four runs to snap an early slump, and the Florida Marlins beat the Braves 6-2 to complete their first three-game sweep in Atlanta.
Ross had three hits, including a three-run homer. He drove in another run with a sacrifice fly after beginning the day with a .115 batting average and only one RBI.
Anibal Sanchez (1-0) gave up eight hits and two runs in six innings to give Kenshin Kawakami (1-1) his first loss. Kawakami allowed five hits and five runs, four earned, in six innings.
Florida (8-1) is off to its best start since opening the 1997 season with eight wins in the first nine games.
The Marlins had never swept a three-game or four-game series in Atlanta before outscoring the Braves 21-7 the past three games.
ST. LOUIS 7, CHI CUBS 4
CHICAGO Chris Duncan atoned for some shoddy defense with a homer and three RBIs, and Yadier Molina drove in the go-ahead run that sent the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight and, perhaps more importantly, took the first of what will be 16 games against their long-time rivals.
Milton Bradley, whod been on his best behavior since signing a $30 million contract with the Cubs, argued a called third strike as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and was ejected by umpire Larry Vanover.
Adam Wainwright (2-0) picked up the win for St. Louis, while reliever David Patton (0-1) took the loss for the Cubs.
HOUSTON 6, PITTSBURGH 3
PITTSBURGH Lance Berkman made up for an earlier missed opportunity with a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning, and the Houston Astros overcame an early two-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3.
Hunter Pence added a solo home run as the Astros won the final two games of the three-game series. Before that, theyd lost five straight during a 1-6 start, their worst in 25 seasons.
Berkman left the bases loaded by flying out in the fourth inning with the score tied at 3. He made up for it with a drive into the left-field seats in the sixth off reliever Sean Burnett (0-1), who retired two batters before Michael Bourn doubled and Miguel Tejada walkedone of seven walks the Astros drew off six Pirates pitchers.
WASHINGTON 8, PHILADELPHIA 2
WASHINGTON Adam Dunn and the Washington Nationals finally won a game, because they finally got decent pitching.
Dunn hit one of Washingtons four homers, Shairon Martis threw 6 1-3 solid innings, and the Nationals avoided setting a club record for most consecutive losses to start a season by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-2.
Washington is 1-7; in the franchises two-city history, only this edition and the 1998 Montreal Expos opened 0-7, according to STATS LLC.
Martis (1-0) gave up two runs and five hits in by the far the most effective performance by any member of Washingtons young starting rotation in 2009. Mike Hinckley, Joe Beimel and Joel Hanrahan followed with 2 2-3 innings of perfect relief.
SAN DIEGO 6, NY METS 5
FLUSHING, New York Chase Headley tied a career high with four hits and the San Diego Padres beat the New York Mets 6-5 to win the first regular-season series at Citi Field.
Jake Peavy settled down after allowing Carlos Delgados long three-run homer in the first and surprising San Diego held on for its sixth win in seven games. Former Mets reliever Heath Bell pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save in five chances.
The Padres looked right at home in New Yorks spacious new facility, with its expansive outfield reminiscent of the power alleys in their Petco Park. They only needed one extra-base hit to send the Mets to their fifth loss in seven games.
LA DODGERS 7, SAN FRANCISCO 2
LOS ANGELES Rafael Furcal hit a leadoff home run and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants, 7-2, for their fifth straight victory.
Eric Stults (2-0) allowed two runs and five hits, Casey Blake and pinch-hitter Doug Mientkiewicz each had two RBI and Matt Kemp hit a run-scoring triple, helping send San Francisco to its sixth straight loss.
Its the first time the Giants have lost their first six road games since moving west with the Dodgers after the 1957 season. The last time they dropped their first six on the road was in 1947the year Jackie Robinson made his big league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Three-time All-Star Barry Zito (0-2) had another rough start, allowing six runs over five-plus innings.
