Road-Weary Braves Beat Padres Again, 3-2

Just three games from finishing their marathon 17-game road trip, the Atlanta Braves feel they are back on course.

After losing four consecutive games, Atlanta got a solo home run by Javier Lopez and six pitchers combined on a six-hitter as the Braves defeated the Padres, 3-2, for their second victory in a row at San Diego.

“We wanted to come out and reestablish ourselves,” Atlanta’s Chipper Jones said. “I think we did that. It’s important to finish off this road trip strongly.”

Lopez broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning with a 401-foot home run off Tim Worrell (6-5) that put the Braves ahead to stay.

“The pitch I hit was the only one that I could drive all day,” Lopez said. “With the game on the line, I was going to hit it as hard as I could.”

Said reliever Mark Wohlers, who pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings to record his 26th save: “That’s what is so tough about this club. We’ve had a number of guys who have stepped up. Today it was Javy and a bunch of guys out of the bullpen.”

Pittsburgh 13, New York 9--The Mets committed a team-record seven errors and the Pirates scored seven unearned runs to avoid a sweep of the five-game series at New York.

Carlos Baerga, acquired in a trade with Cleveland earlier this week, had two of New York’s errors while playing third base. The Mets’ sloppy performance ended a season-high, five-game winning streak.

Chicago 4, Colorado 1--Jamie Navarro pitched into the seventh inning and batted in the go-ahead run, and Sammy Sosa hit his 37th home run as the surging Cubs won their fourth consecutive game with a victory at Chicago.

The Cubs’ eighth victory in their last nine games moved them within one game of .500 for the first time since May 7.

Colorado’s road problems continued as it fell to 16-36 away from Coors Field. The Rockies have lost 15 of their last 18 road games.

Navarro (9-9) gave up six hits in 6 1/3 innings, and got his first extra-base hit of the season.

Cincinnati 9, Montreal 7--Barry Larkin drove in four runs and Bret Boone singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Reds rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat the Expos at Montreal.

Shane Andrews homered twice for Montreal, which had won three in a row. But Mark Leiter, acquired Tuesday from San Francisco, failed to hold a 6-1 lead.

Leiter, winless in nine starts since May 18, gave up seven runs and seven hits in five innings, including three home runs.

St. Louis 1-7, Philadelphia 2-1--Andy Benes pitched a four-hitter, and Brian Jordan homered and drove in three runs as the Cardinals defeated the Phillies for a doubleheader split at St. Louis.

In the opener, Russ Springer pitched seven innings for the first time in more than three years to lead the Phillies.

Benes (10-8), 7-0 in nine starts since June 13, struck out seven and walked two in his third complete game.

Springer (3-9), who had lost his previous three starts, gave up six hits in his longest outing since July 17, 1993, when he pitched eight innings against Cleveland for the Angels.