The Associated Press

PHOENIX - All the attention Elmer Dessens pays to batting practice paid off.

The Arizona right-hander, praised by manager Bob Brenly for his devotion in the batting cage, drove in the only run he needed with his first triple and pitched seven shutout innings to lead the Diamondbacks to a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

"Every day we have batting practice," said Dessens, 7-for-32 (.219) at the plate this year. "I try to do everything right, like in a game situation."

Eddie Oropesa and Jose Valverde worked out of a jam in the eighth and Matt Mantei pitched the ninth for his 11th save, finishing the Diamondbacks' sixth shutout of the season - a six-hitter.

Rockies 13, Brewers 8

DENVER - Preston Wilson had two homers and three RBI, and Jay Payton hit a clutch two-run single as Colorado outslugged Milwaukee. Wilson raised his homer total to 27 and his RBI total to an NL-leading 100.

Milwaukee's Richie Sexson was 4-for-4 with four RBI, including a three-run homer. Brady Clark had a career-high four hits and made a diving catch in center field with his back to the plate in the second.

Braves 15, Expos 4

MONTREAL - Javy Lopez's bases-loaded triple keyed a five-run first inning and Andruw Jones had four hits and three RBI in the Atlanta rout. Lopez extended his hitting streak to nine games and is 18-for-34 in that span.

Gary Sheffield had three hits - including his 25th homer of the season - and three RBI for Atlanta, which tied a season-high with 18 hits.

Marlins 10, Phillies 5

MIAMI - Two errors by center fielder Marlon Byrd led to a pair of unearned runs, and Josh Beckett allowed one run in six innings to help Florida beat Philadelphia for the seventh time in a row.

Ivan Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera each drove in three runs for the Marlins, who climbed six games above .500 for the first time since they finished the 1997 season 92-70. That team went on to win the World Series.

Cardinals 13, Pirates 8

ST. LOUIS - Albert Pujols had four hits and drove in four runs and Jason Isringhausen hit a bases-loaded triple for St. Louis. Tino Martinez went 4-for-5 with two RBI, Edgar Renteria added three hits and Scott Rolen hit a three-run homer for the Cardinals, who got 19 hits.

Pujols went 4-for-5 with two doubles to increase his major league-leading average to .376. He has an NL-high 44 multi-hit games and has hit in at least 10 straight games for the third time this season. Pujols is second to Preston Wilson in the NL with 96 RBI.

Astros 3, Cubs 1

HOUSTON - Tim Redding allowed just two hits in seven strong innings and Jeff Bagwell homered to power Houston.

Lance Berkman had an RBI double for the NL Central-leading Astros, who took a 3-1 lead on Bagwell's 22nd homer of the season, in the sixth inning.

Jeff Kent, the next batter, objected to a strike call by plate umpire Matt Hollowell and was ejected with two strikes. Kent had to be restrained, and Astros manager Jimy Williams rushed out and was ejected as well.