Colon, Expos Prevent a Brave Celebration

The Atlanta Braves missed a chance to clinch their 11th straight division title, losing to Bartolo Colon and the Montreal Expos, 7-0, Sunday at Turner Field.

Colon (8-3) pitched a four-hitter for seven innings to beat the Braves for the third time since being acquired by the Expos in a June 27 trade with Cleveland. Tom Glavine (16-10) lasted six innings, giving up eight hits and four runs as his losing streak stretched to a season-high four games.

Even with the loss, the Braves are set to earn a postseason berth earlier than any other team in Atlanta history. In 1995, they clinched the NL East on Sept. 13 with 15 games left in the season.

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St. Louis 3, Chicago 1--Rookie Jason Simontacchi (10-5) beat Kerry Wood (10-9) and the Cardinals completed a three-game sweep at St. Louis. The NL Central leaders have won five in a row and 10 of 13 to move a season-best 20 games above .500.

Wood failed to beat the Cardinals for the fourth time this season, yielding two runs and eight hits in seven innings. Simontacchi pitched eight innings and gave up a run and four hits.

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New York 11, Philadelphia 3--Vance Wilson homered and drove in a career-high four runs at Philadelphia as the Mets matched a season high with their sixth straight victory. They started their streak after setting an NL record with 15 consecutive losses at home and 17 of 20 overall.

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Florida 11, Pittsburgh 1--Derrek Lee provided all the offense the Marlins needed at Pittsburgh, hitting two doubles, a homer and driving in four runs. Carl Pavano won for the first time since May 18 and Florida ended a five-game losing streak. The Marlins, who had scored only three runs in 37 innings, broke a 1-1 tie with five runs in the fifth.

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San Diego 9, Colorado 4--Ryan Klesko hit two home runs and drove in three runs to help Brian Lawrence (12-10) win for the first time in five starts and the Padres avoided being swept in the three-game series at Coors Field.

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Cincinnati 5, Milwaukee 4--Jimmy Haynes beat his former team for the third time this season, yielding two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings at Milwaukee. Haynes (14-9) was 8-17 for the Brewers last season.