Griffey blasts No. 594 in 8-2 win

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 594th career homer Sunday, a 2-run shot that powered the host Cincinnati Reds to an 8-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Griffey's first homer of the season, a drive off Brett Myers (0-1), left him 6 shy of becoming the sixth player in major-league history to reach 600 homers. He would join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.

Jeff Keppinger homered and drove in 3 runs for the Reds, and Edinson Volquez (1-0) struck out eight in 5½ innings.

Brewers 7, Giants 0: Ben Sheets (1-0) struck out eight, walked none and pitched a 5-hitter for his second career shutout as host Milwaukee beat the Giants.

The shutout was his first since a 5-hitter against St. Louis on May 29, 2001.

Ryan Braun fell a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBI, and Gabe Kapler homered for the second time in as many days as the Brewers scored in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings off Barry Zito (0-2), who allowed 5 runs -- 3 earned -- and 8 hits in 5 innings. Zito has a 6.30 ERA.

Cardinals 3, Nationals 0: Kyle Lohse (1-0) allowed 4 hits in 7 innings, Rick Ankiel homered and host St. Louis completed a three-game sweep over Washington.

Despite a major-league-high nine players on the disabled list, the Cardinals have won five straight since losing on Opening Day and are 5-1 for the first time since winning seven of eight to start 2000.

Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his third save, helped by a leaping catch by Ankiel in center field on a Lastings Milledge drive.

Pirates 9, Marlins 2: Ian Snell (1-0) struck out 10 in 6 innings, allowing 2 runs -- 1 earned -- and 4 hits as Pittsburgh beat host Miami.

Xavier Nady homered, and Nate McLouth had 3 hits and scored 3 runs for the Pirates, who finished with 15 hits. Chris Gomez went 3-for-4.

D'backs 5, Rockies 2 (10): Mark Reynolds hit a 2-run homer in the ninth off Manny Corpas, and Stephen Drew hit a tiebreaking drive against Micah Bowie (0-1) leading off a 3-run 10th as Arizona completed a three-game sweep over host Colorado.

Colorado, which lost its fifth straight, led 1-0 before Reynolds homered. Matt Holliday homered in the ninth off Brandon Lyon (1-1), who blew his second save chance.

Braves 3, Mets 1: John Smoltz (1-0) allowed 2 hits over 5 scoreless innings in his season debut to beat Johan Santana (0-1) as host Atlanta completed a two-game sweep of the rain-shortened series against New York.

Santana gave up only 1 run in 7 innings -- Yunel Escobar doubled in Mark Kotsay in the third -- and Mark Teixeira hit a 2-run homer off Aaron Heilman in the eighth.

Dodgers 3, Padres 2: Trevor Hoffman (0-2) allowed Chin-Lung Hu's tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth inning as Los Angeles beat host San Diego.

Baseball's career leader with 526 saves, Hoffman also lost Tuesday when he blew a save against Houston and has a 12.27 ERA in four games.

Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 4: Frank Thomas broke a fifth-inning tie with his 11th career grand slam, Vernon Wells added a 2-run homer and the host Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the World Series champions.

Boston went 3-4 on its opening three-nation trip to Tokyo, Oakland and Toronto, a journey of nearly 16,000 miles, and is last in the AL East for the first time since April 10, 2005.

Out since mid-March because of a strained lower back, Josh Beckett (0-1) was activated from the disabled list to face Roy Halladay (1-1). Beckett gave up 5 runs, 3 hits and 4 walks in 4¿ innings, striking out six.

Halladay allowed 4 runs and 8 hits in 8 innings. Jeremy Accardo pitched the ninth for his third save.

Royals 3, Twins 1: Brett Tomko (1-0) allowed 6 hits in 5 shutout innings, Alex Gordon hit a 2-run single and scored after doubling in the seventh, and Kansas City beat host Minnesota.

Joakim Soria struck out the side in order in the ninth for his third save.

Kansas City finished its opening trip to Detroit and Minnesota 4-2, its best start since 2004.

Indians 2, Athletics 1: Cliff Lee (1-0) gave up 4 hits and struck out four in 6¿ innings to win his first start of the season, as Cleveland stopped a three-game losing streak by beating host Oakland.

Joe Borowski pitched the ninth for his second save, following Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt to complete a 4-hitter.

Yankees 2, Rays 0: Chien-Ming Wang (2-0) pitched 4-hit ball into the seventh inning, Hideki Matsui hit a 2-run homer in the fourth off James Shields (1-1) and Yankees manager Joe Girardi was back on the bench following an illness as host New York beat Tampa Bay.

Orioles 3, Mariners 2: Luis Hernandez singled in the winning run with two outs in the ninth off Mark Lowe (0-1), who also threw a tying wild pitch as host Baltimore beat Seattle.

Rangers 10, Angels 4: Gerald Laird had 4 hits, homered twice and drove in a career-high 6 runs as Texas beat host Los Angeles.