The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Matt Stairs homered and drove in two runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates jumped on Houston starter Tim Redding for five runs in the first three innings and a 5-3 victory Monday night.

The Pirates, the only team to beat the Astros in their last 15 games, ended Houston's five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has won four straight at home against the Astros since July 4.

The Astros had won 10 of 11, matching Atlanta for the NL's best pace over that span, but are 1-5 against the Pirates over those 15 games. The last team to beat Houston other than Pittsburgh was Milwaukee on July 2.

Josh Fogg (6-4) withstood consecutive homers by Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent in the sixth to win for the fourth time in his last five decisions, despite lasting just 5 1-3 innings. Fogg gave up three runs and six hits.

Bagwell's homer was the 401st of his career and his third in two games.

Cubs 15, Braves 6

ATLANTA - Sammy Sosa homered and drove in four runs, Moises Alou had four hits and five RBI for Chicago.

Tom Goodwin matched a career high with five hits and scored four times and Alex Gonzalez homered and drove in three runs. The Cubs finished with a season-high 21 hits.

On Sunday, the Cubs had 20 hits in a 16-2 romp over the Florida Marlins. Sosa and Gonzalez both homered in that win, which came after Chicago scored only three runs in its previous three games.

Sosa homered for the 10th time since July 1 as the Cubs won their third in a row. They ended the Braves' five-game winning streak and handed Atlanta only its second loss in 15 games.

Padres 5, Cardinals 4, 10 innings

SAN DIEGO - Miguel Ojeda homered with one out in the 10th inning to give the San Diego Padres a win over St. Louis.

Ojeda, who entered in the ninth as part of a double switch, hit a 3-2 pitch 397 feet into the left-field seats off Lance Painter (0-1). It was his third homer of the season.

Jay Witasick (2-1) worked two perfect innings for the win.

Cardinals starter Matt Morris was hit in the right hand by a line drive in the first inning, bruising a knuckle on his index finger. X-rays of the knuckle were negative.

Marlins 4, Expos 1

MIAMI - Mike Lowell drove in two runs in his return from a tumor scare and Josh Beckett pitched seven scoreless innings.

Lowell, who had surgery in 1999 for testicular cancer, felt soreness in his groin the last three weeks and doctors told him Friday that a golf ball-sized mass above his left femur might be a tumor.

But the following day, specialists in Gainesville, Fla., determined it was not a tumor or cancerous, and instead was fibrous dysplasia, a benign condition of the bone.

In his first at bat, Lowell singled home Juan Pierre. Lowell drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and also doubled in the eighth.

A pair of hitting streaks ended for Expos players. Jose Vidro was 0-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt to snap his 13-game string and Orlando Cabrera was 0-for-4 to end his 15-game streak.

Mets 8, Phillies 6

PHILADELPHIA - Aaron Heilman earned his first major league victory and John Franco picked up his first save since 2001.

Cliff Floyd, Jason Phillips and Joe McEwing homered as the Mets stopped a four-game losing streak.

Jim Thome hit his 25th homer and Bobby Abreu drove in four runs for the NL wild card-leading Phillies, who had won eight of 10.

Franco got the final three outs for his first save since June 19, 2001. The 42-year-old left-hander, who missed all of the 2002 season because of elbow surgery, is second on the all-time saves list behind Lee Smith with 423. Smith had 478.

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 4

SAN FRANCISCO - Rich Aurilia and Yorvit Torrealba each drove in two runs during a sixth-inning rally and San Francisco beat Arizona for its fifth straight win.

The NL West-leading Giants moved eight games ahead of the Diamondbacks in the division race by taking the opener of this important four-game series. San Francisco has won 10 of its last 13 games and is undefeated so far on this 11-game homestand to start the second half.

With the Giants trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Elmer Dessens (5-7) provided an opportunity for San Francisco when he loaded the bases with one out. He allowed a single to J.T. Snow and then a double to Marquis Grissom before intentionally walking slugger Barry Bonds.

Jose Cruz Jr. struck out on a full-count, then Aurilia hit a two-run single to center off Dessens and Torrealba singled two batters later to bring in two more runs as the Giants took a 5-4 lead.

Rockies 4, Dodgers 1

LOS ANGELES - Denny Stark got his first victory of an injury-plagued season and Bobby Estalella homered as Colorado ended a five-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles.

Stark (1-0) allowed a run and four hits in seven innings in his fourth start of the year. He missed the Rockies' first 84 games because of a strained muscle in his upper back.

Brian Fuentes retired all four batters he faced and Justin Speier got the last two outs for his sixth save in seven chances.

Estalella led off the fifth with his home run off Andy Ashby (2-7) to extend the Rockies' lead to 3-1.