Franco Powers Braves to Win

Julio Franco talks about playing until he’s 50. Maybe even 60, by Horacio Ramirez’s math.

Franco hit the eighth grand slam of his career, a pinch-hit shot, and Ramirez pitched the streaking Atlanta Braves past the Florida Marlins, 7-2, Monday night at Miami in a game called during the eighth inning because of rain.

The 46-year-old Franco, already the oldest player in major league history to hit a grand slam, sealed the victory in the eighth. Batting for Adam LaRoche against left-hander Valerio de los Santos, Franco went the opposite way -- no small feat in the Marlins’ home park -- for his sixth homer this season.

“Amazing,” Ramirez said. “What can you say about the guy? He’s 56. I mean, 46. And, you know, he’s still swinging it.”

LaRoche, Brian Giles and Johnny Estrada -- celebrating his 29th birthday -- also drove in runs for Atlanta, which has won nine of 11 to move within 2 1/2 games of first-place Washington in the NL East. The Marlins got a run-scoring double from Paul Lo Duca, and Alex Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 17 games.

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Houston 11, Colorado 5 -- Lance Berkman homered and drove in three runs, Wandy Rodriguez was strong into the seventh inning at Denver and the Astros beat Jamey Wright for the 12th consecutive time.

Raul Chavez hit his first homer in two years -- the third of his career -- and drove in two runs. Jason Lane added a three-run shot for the normally punchless Astros, who had a season-high 18 hits to win for the eighth time in 11 games. Every starter, including Rodriguez, had a hit by the fourth in Houston’s seventh consecutive victory over Colorado.

Most of the rare production came against Wright (4-8). The right-hander gave up eight runs and a team record-tying 15 hits in seven innings, becoming the first pitcher to lose his first 12 decisions against one team since Don Sutton lost 13 consecutive against the Chicago Cubs from 1966 to ’69.