By The Associated Press

HOUSTON - Jeff Kent hit a two-run homer off Matt Morris with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, giving the Houston Astros a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kent's second homer of the season ruined a splendid pitching performance by Morris (0-1), who retired 17 of 18 batters before Lance Berkman's two-out infield single in the ninth.

Octavio Dotel (1-1) worked a scoreless inning for the victory.

Jeff Bagwell's solo homer in the third was one of six hits allowed by Morris.

Jim Edmonds hit his third homer of the season - all against Houston - in the first inning. Scott Rolen added an RBI double for the Cardinals, who have lost three straight and five of six.

Expos 10, Mets 0

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The Montreal Expos warmed to Puerto Rico real fast.

Brad Wilkerson and Brian Schneider homered off David Cone (1-1), and Tomo Ohka (1-1) allowed one hit in eight innings as Los Expos rolled past New York in the first of 22 Montreal home games in San Juan.

Schneider put the Expos ahead with a two-run shot in the third, and Wilkerson capped the seven-run inning with his first career grand slam. Local star Jose Vidro added a two-run homer in the eighth.

Beisbol, island style, began with a crowd of 17,906 in Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which was expanded to 20,000 seats. It was larger than the attendance for all but eight Expos games last year at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, which holds 46,000.

Marlins 7, Braves 4

MIAMI - Derrek Lee hit his 100th home run, pitcher Brad Penny connected for his first and Florida won its third game in a row.

Chipper Jones hit his second homer of the season for the Braves, who have been outscored 60-12 in their seven defeats.

Lee's three-run homer, his first this season, put Florida ahead 4-0 in the third against Horacio Ramirez (1-2). Penny, a .152 career hitter, pulled a 2-0 pitch over the scoreboard in the fourth for a solo homer estimated at 375 feet.

Penny (1-1) allowed seven hits and left after five innings with a 7-4 lead. Braden Looper converted his first save opportunity.

Pirates 3, Cubs 2

CHICAGO - Aramis Ramirez went 2-for-3 with an RBI single and Jeff D'Amico got his first win of the season for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates (7-3) are off to their best start since also winning seven of 10 to begin the 1993 season.

D'Amico (1-1) gave up two runs and six hits in five innings to improve to 5-0 in five career starts against the Cubs. Mike Williams earned his fifth save in as many tries.

Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano (1-1) gave up three runs - two earned - and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings.