Maddux Goes Nine To Beat Dodgers

National League

Greg Maddux pitched an eight-hitter for his first complete game of the season and Ryan Klesko hit his ninth homer, leading the Atlanta Braves over the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 Monday night in Atlanta.

Maddux (3-1) struck out seven and walked none in the 71st complete game of his career. Atlanta has won six of eight following a 5-7 start.

Los Angeles had 17 ground-ball outs as it lost its fourth straight.

Mets 5, Reds 1

New York

Paul Wilson shut down Cincinnati on three hits in eight innings, winning his first major league game.

Wilson (1-1), making his fourth big-league start, struck out five and walked two. Doug Henry pitched a two-hit ninth for his second save.

Expos 8, Cardinals 0

Montreal

Rheal Cormier pitched a three-hitter and Henry Rodriguez homered twice and drove in five runs as Montreal won its fourth straight.

Cormier (1-1) retired the first 12 men he faced before Ron Gant reached on third baseman Shane Andrews’ error. After Cormier struck out Gary Gaetti, John Mabry tagged a sharp single to center for the first hit.

Pirates 9, Phillies 3

Philadelphia

Jacob Brumfield hit a two-run homer and drove in a career-high four runs as Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia to stop a three-game losing streak.

Danny Darwin (2-2) allowed all three runs and five hits in 6-1/3 innings.

Pittsburgh had 16 hits, including three each by Charlie Hayes, Jeff King and Brumfield.

Padres 5, Marlins 3

Miami

Andy Ashby pitched a seven-hitter and drove in the tie-breaking run with a sacrifice fly to lead San Diego past Florida, snapping the Marlins’ four-game winning streak.

Gary Sheffield hit his ninth homer with nobody on in the eighth inning, tying him for the National League lead with Atlanta’s Klesko.

Rockies 4, Cubs 2

Chicago

Marvin Freeman allowed four hits over seven innings, one of them Ryne Sandberg’s 250th career homer, and Colorado used a four-run fifth to beat Chicago.

Sandberg hit his fifth homer of the season in the first, becoming the 10th major league player with 250 homers and 250 steals.

Astros 11, Giants 8

San Francisco

Rick Wilkins homered, doubled and singled twice, driving in two runs and scoring three, as Houston took advantage of five San Francisco errors to defeat the Giants.

Clearing the bases

Florida Marlins reliever Alejandro Pena’s career is in jeopardy because of a shoulder injury similar to one he sustained more than a decade ago. Pena, 36, plans to get a second opinion on the rotator cuff tear discovered by the Marlins last week… . Reggie Sanders was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Cincinnati Reds retroactive to Saturday, because of lower back strain… . The Colorado Rockies activated infielder Eric Young from the disabled list and sent infielder Pedro Castellano outright to the minors. Young was on the 15-day disabled list.