Pirates No Match for Glavine, Mets

Tom Glavine baffled the young Pittsburgh Pirates with a variety of off-speed pitches and Xavier Nady hit a three-run homer, leading the New York Mets to a 6-0 victory Thursday night at Shea Stadium.

The East Division-leading Mets (19-9) swept the two-game series and won for the seventh time in nine games. They are 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2000 season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They won the pennant that year.

Glavine (4-2) struck out 10, his second double-digit strikeout game in seven starts this season. He yielded three hits in seven innings for his 279th win and lowered his earned-run average to 1.94.

The 40-year-old left-hander was especially sharp early, retiring the first 12 Pirates in order, striking out seven. Then he pitched his way out of bases-loaded jams in the fifth and sixth.

He got some breathing room in the seventh when Nady hit the three-run homer. Duaner Sanchez and Jorge Julio completed the four-hitter. Sanchez extended his scoreless streak to 22 innings dating to last year with the Dodgers -- including 19 this season.

Met pitchers struck out 14 Pirates for the second consecutive night. Pittsburgh (8-22) dropped to 2-15 on the road and was held to three runs or fewer for the 16th time in 18 games.

Houston 4, St. Louis 3 -- Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer and Willy Taveras had a go-ahead RBI single to lead the Astros past the Cardinals and Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter at Houston.

The Astros are 19-9 through 28 games, the best start in club history. The Cardinals have lost four in a row, their longest losing streak since 2004.

Carpenter (3-2) gave up six hits and four runs and struck out four in six innings.

Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 3 -- Ryan Howard drove in three runs with a home run and two sacrifice flies, helping the host Phillies win their fifth in a row. Cory Lidle (3-3) pitched six solid innings, yielding three runs -- two earned -- and five hits for the Phillies, who evened their record (14-14) for the first time this season.

Florida 11, Washington 3 -- The Nationals lost for the 10th time in 12 games. Miguel Cabrera paced the visiting Marlins’ 12-hit attack with two doubles and five RBIs.

Cincinnati 7, Colorado 1 -- Adam Dunn and Jason LaRue homered at Coors Field to help Aaron Harang improve to 5-1. Harang struck out a career-high 12, scattered seven hits and walked two in 8 1/3 innings.

Arizona 6, Chicago 0 -- Chad Tracy homered for the third straight game, Damion Easley drove in three runs and the Diamondbacks beat the visiting Cubs for their fifth victory in a row.