The Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Tomo Ohka took a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning, and Orlando Cabrera hit two doubles and a triple as the Montreal Expos held off the Chicago Cubs 3-2 Thursday.

The Cubs' two-run rally in the ninth fell short. They stayed one game behind NL Central leader Houston.

The Expos finished their 22 "home" games in Hiram Bithorn Stadium with a 13-9 record.

Ohka (9-12) outpitched Mark Prior (15-6), and the Expos' bullpen barely held on.

Chicago trailed 3-2 when Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou opened the ninth with singles. Rocky Biddle relieved and walked Aramis Ramirez, loading the bases with no outs.

Eric Karros followed with an RBI single, but Alex Gonzalez then grounded into a double play as another run scored.

Joey Eischen relieved and retired pinch-hitter Randall Simon on a grounder with a runner on second for his first save.

Brewers 5, Astros 3

MILWAUKEE - Ben Sheets once again beat Houston as Milwaukee stopped a six-game losing streak.

Sheets (11-12) matched his career high for wins and defeated the Astros for the sixth straight time.

Sheets had lost five in a row overall, but stopped that skid by allowing three runs and eight hits in eight innings.

Rockies 9, Cardinals 4

ST. LOUIS - Sterling Hitchcock struggled for the first time since joining St. Louis, surrendering four solo home runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Miguel Cairo had a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who remained 2 1/2 games out of first place in the NL Central.

Darren Oliver (11-11) allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings to end a personal five-game losing streak, winning for the first time since he beat the Reds on July 29.

Phillies 8, Braves 3

ATLANTA - Greg Maddux didn't get the calls early, and he never recovered.

Bobby Abreu had three hits and Chase Utley homered - all in the first three innings - as Philadelphia denied Maddux his 15th win of the year.

Philadelphia pulled within a half-game of idle Florida in the NL wild-card race. Marlon Byrd was 3-for-5, and Pat Burrell had two hits and two RBI.

National League