Jones keeps it up for Braves in win over Expos

MONTREAL -- Andruw Jones homered leading off the ninth to send the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Expos Tuesday night in front of the smallest Olympic Stadium crowd in 17 years.

Jones hit the first pitch he saw from Scott Strickland (2-5) to break a 2-all tie as the Braves fought back from a pair of one-run deficits to take a three-game lead over Philadelphia in the NL East. It is the Braves biggest lead since Aug. 7.

The game drew 3,613, the smallest Montreal crowd since Sept. 27, 1984, when 2,803 -- the smallest crowd in franchise history -- were on hand for a weekday afternoon game against St. Louis.

Mets 5, Phillies 3

PHILADELPHIA -- Steve Trachsel pitched into the eighth inning and Tsuyoshi Shinjo had two RBIs as New York beat slumping Philadelphia.

Trachsel (9-11) allowed three runs in 7 2-3 innings to beat the Phillies for the fourth time this season. The Phillies have lost three straight and 14 of 19.

Armando Benitez pitched the ninth for his 36th save in 38 chances. New York has won 13 of 17.

Marlins 8, Cubs 1

MIAMI -- Josh Beckett allowed one hit in six shutout innings in his major league debut as Florida beat Chicago.

Beckett also doubled and scored as Florida won for the just the fifth time in 22 games.

Preston Wilson had a three-run homer off Jon Lieber (17-6) and Kevin Millar hit his second career grand slam, providing plenty of run support for Beckett.

Astros 7, Reds 1

CINCINNATI -- Roy Oswalt pitched seven shutout innings for his 13th victory and singled home a run as Houston's slumping offense kept it simple and beat Cincinnati.

Lance Berkman drove in three runs with a pair of infield singles and the Astros also scored on a throwing error and a passed ball, giving Oswalt (13-2) plenty of cushion to beat the Reds for the third time.

Pirates 5, Brewers 2

PITTSBURGH -- Warren Morris hit a two-run double in a five-run first inning that carried Pittsburgh past Milwaukee.

Pittsburgh won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 4-5 and for just the third time in the last 40 games. The Pirates batted around in the first against Aaron Levrault (6-9), who allowed four hits in the first inning and none over his next five.

Cardinals 6, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO -- Matt Morris pitched seven shutout innings to join Arizona's Curt Schilling as the only 19-game winners in the majors, and rookie Albert Pujols hit his 33rd homer for St. Louis.

Morris (19-7) allowed six hits, struck out five and walked none to win his seventh straight start.

Jim Edmonds also connected for the Cardinals, who won for the fifth time in seven games.

Padres starter Junior Herndon (2-4) allowed three runs -- one earned -- and four hits in four innings.

Rockies 5, Dodgers 2

DENVER -- Denny Neagle (9-7) beat the Dodgers for the first time in four tries and Larry Walker took over the NL batting lead with a .348 average.

Juan Pierre was 2-for-3, scored three runs, drove in a fourth and stole a base for Colorado, and Jose Uribe homered for the second straight game.

Walker went 2-for-3 with an RBI and took over the NL batting lead for the first time this season. Houston's Moises Alou whose average dropped to .342 with an 0-for-5 night.

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 2

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds hit his major league-leading 59th home run and Rich Aurilia homered twice to lead San Francisco.

Aurilia broke a 2-all tie with a two-run homer in the seventh off Miguel Batista after pinch-hitter Eric Davis doubled off Greg Swindell (2-3). Bonds followed with his 553rd career homer, a drive that barely cleared the center-field fence.