Utley hits 18th in win; Mets fall
PHILADELPHIA -- Chase Utley hit his major league-leading 18th homer to help Brett Myers win for the first time in six weeks, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Florida Marlins 12-3 Friday night.
Ryan Howard and Chris Coste each had three-run shots for the Phillies, who won their fifth straight game and moved into first place in the NL East -- a half-game ahead of the surprising Marlins.
Myers (3-6) allowed three runs and six hits in eight innings, striking out a season-high 11. Myers, the Phillies' opening-day starter, hadn't won since beating Houston on April 17. He lost his previous five decisions.
Philadelphia scored seven off Mark Hendrickson (7-3) in the second inning and chased the left-hander with four more in the fourth. Hendrickson lasted just 3 2-3 innings, allowing 10 runs and seven hits.
Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez left with a bruised thumb in the fifth after getting hit by Shane Victorino's liner an inning earlier. X-rays were negative and Ramirez's status for Saturday's game is unknown.
Dodgers 9, Mets 5
Russell Martin went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs to lead Los Angeles to the win.
After prized prospect Clayton Kershaw was chased in the fourth inning of his second major league start, Chan Ho Park (2-1) shut down the Mets to give manager Joe Torre a victory in his return to New York.
The Dodgers broke out of their offensive slumber by battering reliever Aaron Heilman (0-2) in a five-run eighth. They snapped a four-game skid and won for only the second time in eight tries. Los Angeles scored only 12 runs in its previous seven games.
Luis Castillo hit a two-run homer for the Mets, who had won three straight after a 1-7 stretch. The second baseman left in the seventh with a strained left hip flexor after turning a difficult double play. He was replaced by Damion Easley.
Reds 3, Braves 2, 11 innings
Rookie Jay Bruce had four hits -- three of them off 300-game winner Tom Glavine -- and scored on Chipper Jones' error in the 11th inning to give the Reds the win.
Bruce added to his remarkable debut week by opening the 11th with a single off Royce Ring (1-1). Ken Griffey Jr. then singled past Jones, and the third baseman also failed to come up with Brandon Phillips' grounder for a game-ending error.
Bruce also doubled home a run and scored in the sixth, adding to his growing lore. Cincinnati's top prospect has become the fans' favorite while going 8-for-14 in his first four games.
Kent Mercker (1-0) went one inning, got his first victory since June 30, 2006, and extended Atlanta's road woes. The Braves are 0-12 in one-run games on the road.
Brewers 5, Astros 1
Ryan Braun homered and matched a career-high with four hits, Manny Parra pitched six strong innings and the Brewers won for the fourth time in five games.
Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron also homered for Milwaukee.
Houston dropped its third straight.
Parra (3-2) rebounded from a disastrous outing against the Washington Nationals on Sunday, when he gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings. He allowed the Brewers just one run and four hits.
Brandon Backe (4-6) gave up five runs and six hits over five innings for the Astros.
Cardinals 5, Pirates 4
Albert Pujols homered for the third time in four games and Todd Wellemeyer worked seven sharp innings for the Cardinals.
St. Louis won for the sixth time in eight games.
Pujols's 14th homer was a two-run shot to straightaway center in the bottom of the first that answered Nate McLouth's 13th homer, a solo shot just over the right-field wall, in the top half for Pittsburgh.
Wellemeyer (6-1) won his career-best fourth straight decision. He allowed one run and six hits.
Pinch-hitter Jason Michaels' three-run double off stand-in closer Ryan Franklin with two outs in the ninth cut the deficit to one before McLouth's comebacker gave Franklin his fifth save in seven chances.
Zach Duke (2-4) worked six innings for the Pirates and gave up three runs, two earned, and five hits.