NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Former Falcon Helps Cardinals Top Braves

Former Atlanta Falcon safety Brian Jordan hit two solo homers to back the six-hit pitching of Donovan Osborne and three relievers as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-0, Monday night at Atlanta.

“Outside of football, these were the two biggest hits I’ve had in this park,” said Jordan, who played for the Falcons from 1989-91 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium before signing a baseball-only contract with the Cardinals.

“You love to play good in front of fans who rooted for you when you were here before. Thank goodness I did good,” Jordan said.

Deion Sanders, the Braves’ own two-sport star who was Jordan’s defensive backfield teammate on the Falcons, was impressed.

“Jordan’s homers were great,” Sanders said. “I hated to see them, because they were for the other team, but they were great.”

Mark Whiten also helped with his fourth home run in five games for St. Louis.

Osborne (9-3) won his sixth consecutive decision by pitching four-hit ball in seven innings. The left-hander struck out three and walked one.

Jordan hit his first home run of the game in the seventh against reliever Kent Mercker. The outfielder added another solo shot in the ninth, his fifth.

Florida 3, Colorado 1--Ryan Bowen gave up one run in seven innings and Darrell Whitmore hit the longest home run in Florida history to lead the Marlins at Miami.

The Rockies, who have lost five consecutive games, lead the season series against the Marlins, 6-4.

Bowen (5-8) scattered seven hits, walked three and struck out one.

Colorado had runners in six of Bowen’s seven innings and failed to score a runner from third in four of those innings. Bryan Harvey pitched the final inning for his 26th save.

San Francisco 6, Montreal 2--Pitcher Dave Burba went two for two and drove in the go-ahead run to help the Giants end a two-game losing streak at San Francisco.

In his first start since April 24, Burba (7-2) gave up seven hits in five innings but held the Expos to two runs in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander, who struck out five with one intentional walk, was filling in for the injured Bud Black.

Trailing, 2-1, San Francisco scored twice in the fourth after Matt Williams and Barry Bonds started the inning with singles against Chris Nabholz (5-6).

Chicago 6, Cincinnati 4--The Cubs won their season-high fifth consecutive game by turning Larry Luebbers’ wildness into a five-run lead, then holding on at Cincinnati.

Derrick May, Sammy Sosa and Rick Wilkins gave the Cubs a 5-0 lead with run-scoring singles against Luebbers (2-1), who walked six in 4 2/3 innings.

The Reds cut it to 5-4 in the sixth on Jack Daugherty’s three-run homer against Frank Castillo (3-6) and Hal Morris’ run-scoring double. But Kevin Roberson hit a solo homer in the eighth to increase the lead. Randy Myers got the last four outs for his 28th save.

Houston 4, Pittsburgh 2--Eric Anthony hit a tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning to lead the Astros at Pittsburgh.

Pirate starter Bob Walk lost his first home game this season and only his second in more than a year. Walk (10-7) had been 7-0 in eight starts at Three Rivers Stadium this season and on a 14-1 home winning streak since losing to San Diego on May 16, 1992.

Pete Harnisch (9-6) held Pittsburgh to one hit in five innings after giving up two runs in the first.

Doug Jones got the final two outs for his 15th save. He entered the ninth with runners at first and third but got pinch-hitter Lloyd McClendon to ground out to first and Carlos Garcia to ground out to shortstop.

New York 2, San Diego 1--Charlie O’Brien hit his first homer of the season leading off the 10th inning as the Mets beat the Padres at San Diego to give them their first three-game winning streak of the year.

O’Brien homered to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch from Gene Harris (4-4), who has three losses in his last five appearances.

Winner John Franco (3-0) blew a save opportunity in the ninth by giving up Tony Gwynn’s two-out run-scoring single. Franco has blown three saves in eight opportunities this season.

Franco, who relieved starter Eric Hillman in the ninth, retired the first two batters before walking Ricky Gutierrez. Tim Teufel singled Gutierrez to third for Gwynn.