Phillie Streak Ends as Ortiz Wins His 19th

For Russ Ortiz, it was another routine performance.

Same for Kevin Millwood.

Ortiz bounced back from his usual shaky start to earn his career-high 19th win, Millwood got pounded again by his former team, and the Atlanta Braves hurt Philadelphia’s playoff drive by rallying for a 6-4 victory Monday at Atlanta.

The Phillies’ six-game winning streak was ended and they dropped into a tie in the National League wild-card race with Florida.

Ortiz (19-6) gave up four runs in the top of the first, then pitched five scoreless innings while the Braves matched their biggest comeback of the season against Millwood.

“I just kept throwing and trusting it would come back,” said Ortiz, who has given up more runs in the first (26) than in any other inning. “When it did, I felt a lot more confident.”

Mark DeRosa hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, scoring from third when Andruw Jones hit into a double play with the bases loaded.

Millwood (14-10), traded from Atlanta to Philadelphia during the winter, has lost all three starts against the Braves this season, his earned-run average in those games rising to 7.00 after he gave up nine hits and five runs in six innings.

Florida 5, New York 0 -- Alex Gonzalez homered and four Marlin pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout at New York.

Josh Beckett (8-7) gave up four hits through six innings, striking out six and walking two.

Relievers Nate Bump, Ugueth Urbina and Braden Looper followed with three scoreless innings.

Florida scored four runs in the ninth off reliever Orber Moreno when pinch-hitter Todd Hollandsworth had an RBI single, Juan Pierre tripled in two runs, and Luis Castillo doubled in Pierre.

Houston 8, Milwaukee 4 -- Roy Oswalt returned from the disabled list and Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman each had three RBIs to lead the Astros at Milwaukee.

The victory, Houston’s fourth in five games, put the Astros in a first-place tie in the NL Central with the idle Chicago Cubs.

Oswalt (7-5), sidelined since July 30 because of a strained right groin, won for the first time since July 18.

Pittsburgh 9, Cincinnati 1 -- Josh Fogg threw his first major league complete game, and Craig Wilson homered twice and tied his career high with four RBIs to lead the Pirates at Cincinnati.