Griffey makes Florida pay for intentional pass
CINCINNATI Ken Griffey Jr. glared into the Florida Marlins' dugout as he rounded the bases on his 492nd career homer Tuesday night, a three-run shot that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-2 victory, their seventh straight.
Griffey sent a message to Florida manager Jack McKeon, who decided to intentionally walk Sean Casey, allowing Josh Beckett to face him with the score tied in the sixth.
Astros 5, Cubs 0
HOUSTON Roy Oswalt pitched seven sharp innings for his first win in more than a month, and Houston snapped a five-game losing streak.
Oswalt (3-3) allowed only three hits and struck out eight, dominating a lineup missing Sammy Sosa in the first showdown of the season between the NL Central's two preseason favorites.
Mets 5, Phillies 0
NEW YORK Steve Trachsel pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning and New York got its fourth straight win.
Mike Piazza homered off Eric Milton and drove in two runs, and Cliff Floyd added a two-run double. The Mets (23-22) began a stretch of 12 games against NL East rivals Philadelphia and Florida by moving above .500 for the first time since April 15, when they were 5-4.
Expos 3, Braves 1
MONTREAL Tony Batista, Juan Rivera and Endy Chavez homered, and Tomo Ohka pitched seven strong innings to help Montreal end a five-game losing streak.
Montreal, still an NL-worst 15-30, improved to 6-5 at Olympic Stadium. The Expos have an 8-14 home record overall, including just two wins in 11 games in Puerto Rico.
Dodgers 5, Brewers 3
MILWAUKEE Alex Cora ignited one big inning with his bat and snuffed another with his glove.
Cora's single sparked a four-run third inning for Los Angeles and his diving grab with the bases loaded ended Milwaukee's threat in the fifth as the Dodgers won for just the second time in 11 games.
Padres 11, Rockies 6
DENVER Jay Payton hit a two-run homer in San Diego's three-run eighth inning and drove in four runs to send Colorado to its sixth straight loss.
Miguel Ojeda hit his first homer of the season and drove in three runs for San Diego, which had 16 hits. Payton finished 4-for-5 against his former team.
Giants 4, Diamondbacks 1
SAN FRANCISCO Barry Bonds hit his first home run in nearly a month and Jason Schmidt (5-2) won his fifth straight decision.
Edgardo Alfonzo also homered and singled twice for the Giants, who opened a six-game homestand against division rivals Arizona and Colorado by winning their season-high fourth straight.
Bonds connected for his 11th home run this year and 669th of his career, hitting a 2-1 pitch from Casey Fossum (0-2) over the wall in center field, where a fan stuck his glove out trying to get the ball.
Center fielder Steve Finley immediately complained of interference.
The 39-year-old Bonds, who had not homered since April 29 against Florida, is third on the career home run list behind Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).