Braves Overpower Diamondbacks, 10-6

Pinch-hitter Julio Franco’s two-run single highlighted a five-run fifth inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 10-6, Saturday night at Atlanta.

Andruw Jones had two hits and three RBIs and Marcus Giles hit his 16th homer to help the Braves win their major league-leading 80th game of the season.

Giles’ homer gave the Braves 22 in their last 10 games and a league-high 186.

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Montreal 4, San Francisco 1 -- The Expos improved to 5-0 against the West Division-leading Giants this season as Zach Day (7-4) pitched seven shutout innings and hit an RBI single at Montreal.

Giant center fielder Marquis Grissom was sent for X-rays after he was hit on the left hand by a pitch in the fourth. Trainer Stan Conte said that preliminary X-rays showed no fracture.

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Philadelphia 5, St. Louis 4 -- Jim Thome and Mike Lieberthal hit back-to-back homers to spark a four-run sixth inning for the Phillies at Philadelphia. The Phillies won their fourth in a row and stayed half a game ahead of the Marlins in the wild-card race.

Albert Pujols extended his major league-leading hitting streak to 30 games with a seventh-inning single, the longest by a Cardinal since Stan Musial hit in 30 straight in 1950.

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Florida 6, San Diego 3 -- Juan Pierre drove in two runs with a triple and saved two runs with a running catch in deep left-center field for the Marlins at Pro Player Stadium in Miami.

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New York 13, Colorado 4 -- Cliff Floyd and Timo Perez each drove in four runs at Shea Stadium to give the Mets their first four-game winning streak of the season. The Rockies fell to a league-worst 20-45 away from Coors Field.

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Milwaukee 6, Pittsburgh 4 -- Scott Podsednik hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning for the Brewers at Pittsburgh.

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Wild-Card Race

*--* W L GB Philadelphia 68 54 -- Florida 68 55 1/2 Arizona 64 58 4 Chicago 64 58 4 St. Louis 64 59 4 1/2 Dodgers 63 59 5

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