Beltran's homers lead Mets to 11-3 rout of Braves

Orlando Hernandez scattered three hits in eight innings for the win.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA -- Carlos Beltran homered twice, Orlando Hernandez allowed only three hits in eight innings and the New York Mets buried an old nemesis a little deeper in the NL East, routing the Atlanta Braves 11-3 Saturday.
Hernandez didn't give up an earned run -- the Braves took advantage of two New York errors -- and he also picked up the first two RBIs of his career during a seven-run sixth that broke open a 3-all game.
Beltran capped the big inning with a three-run homer off Chad Paronto, who had just replaced starter Tim Hudson. The Mets center fielder also hit a two-run shot in the first and now has 30 homers for the year.
Endy Chavez chipped in with three RBIs for New York, which outhit the Braves 15-4.
Hernandez (7-8) won his third straight decision and further solidified his spot in the Mets' shaky rotation, their only major area of concern as they go for their first playoff appearance since reaching the Subway World Series in 2000.
NEW YORKATLANTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Reyes ss5010MGiles 2b3122
L Duca c4240Rnteria ss3000
Brdford p0000TPena ss1000
Beltran cf5225LaRche 1b3001
CDlgdo 1b1000McBrid p0000
JuFrco 1b3020AJones cf4000
Wright 3b4100McCnn c3000
Wdwrd 3b0000JoSosa p0000
CFloyd lf5220Thrmn 1b1010
Vlentin 2b3210Frncur rf4000
Chavez rf4123Lngrhn lf4110
OHrndz p4112Orr 3b3100
Mrrero c1000THudsn p1000
Prnto p0000
Pratt c1000
Totals39111510Totals31343
New York210007001--11
Atlanta120000000--3
E--Reyes (10), Wright (12), McCann (4). DP--Atlanta 2. LOB--New York 7, Atlanta 4. 2B--Lo Duca (26), CFloyd (15), Thorman (6). 3B--Chavez (4). HR--Beltran 2 (30). SB--JuFranco (5). CS--Reyes (11). S--THudson. SF--LaRoche.
IPHRERBBSO
New York
OHrndz W,7-8833007
Bradford110000
Atlanta
THudson L,8-95 2-3109932
Paronto1-321100
JoSosa220013
McBride111011
HBP--by THudson (CDelgado), by OHernandez (MGiles). WP--THudson. PB--Pratt. Umpires--Home, Greg Gibson; First, Paul Nauert; Second, Chris Guccione; Third, Larry Vanover. T--2:54. A--49,047.
Cubs 4, Cardinals 2
CHICAGO -- Greg Maddux allowed one run in six-plus innings to earn his 327th career victory.
Maddux (9-11) yielded five hits, struck out six and didn't walk a batter to win consecutive starts after a personal six-game losing streak.
Maddux was sharp on the muggy, 95-degree day, retiring 10 straight between the third and sixth inning.
With the possibility that Maddux could be departing Chicago before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline, the sellout crowd of 41,302 gave the right-hander a standing ovation when he left the field in the seventh after giving up a leadoff double to Scott Rolen. The usually stoic Maddux tipped his hat to the crowd.
NL Central-leading St. Louis dropped to 3-9 against the Cubs this season. The Cardinals have lost the first three games of the four-game series and seven straight overall at Wrigley Field dating to last season.
Michael Barrett was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Cubs, who have won five of their last six. Ryan Dempster allowed Chris Duncan's RBI single and struck out Aaron Miles with the bases loaded in the ninth for his 20th save in 25 chances.
ST. LOUISCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
Eckstin ss4010Pierre cf5120
Tguchi lf4010NPerez 2b4000
Isrnghs p0000Barrett c3121
Pujols 1b4220ARmrz 3b1010
Rolen 3b4021JJones rf3000
JEcrcn rf4010Mabry 1b1101
Edmnd cf3000Pagan lf4110
Luna 2b3000Cedeno ss4021
Wnwrgt p0000Mddux p2000
Duncan lf1011Wuertz p0000
YMolna c3000Eyre p0000
Rdrgez ph0000TWalkr ph1000
Reyes p2000Dmpstr p0000
Miles 2b2000
Totals34282Totals28483
St. Louis100000001--2
Chicago02001010x--4
E--Luna (5). DP--St. Louis 1, Chicago 1. LOB--St. Louis 7, Chicago 9. 2B--Rolen (31), Barrett (18), ARamirez (21). 3B--Pierre (9). SB--Pujols (4), Pagan (2), Cedeno (6). S--Maddux. SF--Mabry.
IPHRERBBSO
St. Louis
Reyes L,2-5663350
Wainwright121110
Isringhausen100000
Chicago
Maddux W,9-11651106
Wuertz100002
Eyre110001
Dempster S,20121121
Maddux pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. HBP--by Reyes (Barrett). PB--YMolina. Umpires--Home, Mark Wegner; First, Marvin Hudson; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Ed Montague. T--2:53. A--41,302.
Dodgers 7, Nationals 5
LOS ANGELES -- Russell Martin homered and drove in four runs to help Los Angeles.
Rafael Furcal also homered for the Dodgers, and Derek Lowe (8-7) won for the first time since July 3 after going 0-3 in his previous four starts. The right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings and had a season-high eight strikeouts. He has an 8.27 ERA over his last seven outings since his complete-game victory over Seattle on June 22.
Washington closed to 7-5 in the sixth when Joe Beimel walked Felipe Lopez with the bases loaded. Jonathan Broxton pitched a scoreless ninth for his first career save, one year to the day of his major league debut.
WASHINGTONLOS ANGELES
abrhbiabrhbi
ASrano lf4011Furcal ss3121
FLopez ss4121Repko cf4120
Zmrmn 3b5010JDrew rf3100
NJhnsn 1b5112Saenz 1b1200
Kearns rf4000Loney 1b0000
MrAnd 2b4120Ethier lf3111
Church cf3111Martin c3124
Schndr c4110Izturis 3b3000
O'Cnnr p2000RMrtnz 2b4010
Hughs p0000DLowe p2000
Matos ph1010Ledee ph1000
Rauch p0000Beimel p0000
Ward ph1000Dssens p0000
Bowie p0000JoCruz ph1000
Brxtn p0000
Totals375105Totals28786
Washington220001000--5
Los Angeles40003000x--7
DP--Washington 2. LOB--Washington 8, Los Angeles 5. 2B--MarAnderson (10), Martin (18). HR--NJohnson (15), Furcal (6), Martin (5). SB--ASoriano (26), FLopez 2 (29), MarAnderson (1), Church (4), Repko (9). CS--Repko (2). SF--Ethier.
IPHRERBBSO
Washington
O'Connor L,3-7467750
Hughes110000
Rauch210002
Bowie100001
Los Angeles
DLowe W,8-7574418
Beimel2-321122
Dessens2 1-300000
Broxton S,1110002
O'Connor pitched to 3 batters in the 5th. HBP--by Hughes (Izturis), by O'Connor (Saenz). WP--Beimel. Umpires--Home, Phil Cuzzi; First, Jerry Crawford; Second, Brian O'Nora; Third, Chuck Meriwether. T--2:58. A--41,540.
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