This Padre Win Is a Family Affair

Brian Lawrence beat his brother-in-law and kept the San Diego Padres in first place in the West Division.

With the Padres roughing up Pirate left-hander Mark Redman -- Lawrence’s brother-in-law -- for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings, San Diego won its first series in nearly a month by beating the Pirates, 12-7, Thursday at Pittsburgh.

In a matchup of pitchers who had identical records, Lawrence lasted into the seventh inning to end his six-game losing streak and give the Padres their third win in 16 games.

They won twice in three games at PNC Park, their first series victory since taking two of three from the Rockies from July 8-10.

San Diego chased Redman (5-12) during a three-run third. He left after allowing 10 of his last 14 batters to reach, including the final six.

Lawrence (6-11), who is married to Redman’s younger sister, Maripat, won for the first time since beating the Dodgers, 8-3, on June 28. He yielded only an unearned run in the first six innings.

Atlanta 7, Cincinnati 4 -- Andruw Jones hit his 33rd homer to take over the league lead, and Jeff Francoeur also homered as the Braves overcame Sean Casey’s two home runs and four RBIs at Cincinnati.

Florida 4, St. Louis 3 -- Jeff Conine, Miguel Cabrera and Paul Lo Duca -- the Marlins’ 3-4-5 hitters -- went nine for 11 with three RBIs against Jeff Suppan at St. Louis. They scored all the runs for the Marlins, who avoided their first three-game losing streak since July 16-18.

San Francisco 6, Colorado 4 -- Lance Niekro hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning, and the Giants ended a four-game losing streak.

The Giants scored five runs on seven straight hits in the eighth inning to keep the Rockies from their first three-game sweep in San Francisco.

Philadelphia 6, Chicago 4 -- Bobby Abreu’s grand slam ended his 25-game homerless skid, and Todd Pratt and Chase Utley also hit home runs for the Phillies at Philadelphia. Abreu’s first-inning slam off Mark Prior (7-4) was his first homer since a grand slam on July 4.

Arizona 7, Houston 3 -- Troy Glaus hit a two-run homer, Shawn Green and Tony Clark also hit homers at Phoenix, and the Diamondbacks avoided getting swept by the Astros for the first time.

Milwaukee 12, New York 9 -- Geoff Jenkins, who went five for five, drove in the tying run with a single, keying a five-run rally in the ninth inning at New York. Pinch-hitter Damian Miller drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single.

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Wild-card standings

*--* Team W L Pct. GB Houston 59 49 546 -- Washington 58 50 537 1 Philadelphia 57 52 523 2 1/2 Florida 55 51 519 3 Chicago 54 54 500 5 New York 54 54 500 5

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