Pettitte Outduels Ortiz to Defeat the Braves, 2-1

A bad-hop hit, a mental error and a bases-loaded walk -- that was enough to give Andy Pettitte and the Houston Astros another victory.

They didn’t even need Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.

Pettitte (3-1) won a duel with Russ Ortiz (3-4) and the first-place Astros made the most of their opportunities, defeating the host Atlanta Braves, 2-1, Sunday.

Each team had only three hits.

An unusual confluence of events led to Houston’s first run in the fifth inning -- a wicked hop turned a routine grounder into a double, then Atlanta’s replacement shortstop Wilson Betemit threw to the wrong base.

In the seventh, Houston picked up its only unquestionable hit against Ortiz and wound up scoring the winning run when Orlando Palmeiro walked with the bases loaded.

“Just as long as we win,” said Palmeiro, who was filling in for Biggio. “I don’t care what happens.”

Biggio and Bagwell, mainstays in the Houston lineup for more than a decade, were rested.

Pettitte improved to 4-0 in his career against the Braves.

“He has dominant stuff,” Atlanta’s Chipper Jones said. “If you don’t get some baserunners on, he’s going to get in a groove and there’s no stopping him.”

New York 6, Milwaukee 5 -- Kaz Matsui hit a game-winning double in the 11th inning at New York after not starting for the first time.

Matsui, who had started 1,143 consecutive games in Japan and his first 30 with the Mets, entered as a pinch runner in the eighth inning. He scored on Ty Wigginton’s pinch-hit two-run single and the Mets rallied from a 5-3 deficit to tie the score.

St. Louis 5, Montreal 2 -- Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds homered, Chris Carpenter (3-1) gave up four hits in eight innings and the Cardinals improved to 10-5 on the road.

Pujols hit a towering two-run shot -- his ninth -- against Claudio Vargas (2-2) in the fourth inning to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Edmonds hit a three-run homer in the seventh.

San Francisco 7, Cincinnati 6 -- Barry Bonds led off the 10th inning with an intentional walk, advanced on Edgardo Alfonzo’s double and scored on Deivi Cruz’s sacrifice fly, helping the Giants complete their trip with a 2-4 record.

Bonds was hitless in four at-bats, extending his slump to 0 for 15. He has 15 walks in his last six games, nine intentional.

Florida 7, San Diego 4 -- Miguel Cabrera hit his league-leading 11th home run and Josh Beckett (3-2) gave up one run and five hits in six innings to lift the Marlins at Miami. Cabrera homered for the second consecutive game, a three-run shot in the second inning.

Adam Eaton (1-3) lasted only 1 2/3 innings, his shortest outing this season. He is winless in his last five starts.

Philadelphia 7, Arizona 1 -- Brett Myers (1-2) pitched seven strong innings and the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks. Marlon Byrd hit a leadoff homer and scored three times for the Phillies, who won for the fifth time in six tries against Arizona in the last 10 days.

Myers doubled and scored to help the Phillies swee7p the Diamondbacks for the second time in the seven-year history of the series, and the first time in Bank One Ballpark at Phoenix.

Chicago 5, Colorado 4 -- Corey Patterson hit a bases-loaded single with two outs in the 13th inning against Jeff Fassero (0-2) to lift the Cubs at Chicago.

Aramis Ramirez hit a two-out homer in the bottom of the 10th against closer Shawn Chacon to tie the score.

The Rockies had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 10th when Todd Helton homered on Joe Borowski’s first pitch.