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PITTSBURGH -- Freddy Sanchez singled home Brian Bixler with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
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Sanchez went 2-for-4 with three RBI and is 9-for-17 in four games since being moved to the top of the Pirates' lineup.
With one out in the ninth, Jose Bautista singled off Atlanta reliever Jeff Bennett (0-2). Bixler hit into a forceout at second, and Doug Mientkiewicz singled to put runners at first and third.
Mientkiewicz took second on fielder's indifference before Sanchez singled up the middle to give the Pirates their fourth straight win.
John Grabow (2-1) struck out one in a scoreless ninth to earn the win.
Brian McCann went 3-for-3 and Jeff Francoeur drove in two runs for Atlanta, which had won six straight.
Sanchez hit a two-out, two-run double off Tom Glavine in the seventh to put Pittsburgh in front 2-1. Bixler was thrown out at home on the play.
Francoeur tied it with a two-out RBI single in the eighth. Full story
Astros 7, Dodgers 1
LOS ANGELES -- Brian Moehler pitched five scoreless innings and Lance Berkman went 3-for-4 with a home run in the Houston Astros' victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 36-year-old Moehler (1-0), filling in for the injured Wandy Rodriguez, allowed five hits and a walk while striking out five. He has spent the majority of his big league career as a starter, though has been used exclusively in relief since rejoining the club in January 2007.
Derek Lowe (2-3) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander has not recorded an out in the sixth inning in any of his last five starts.
Berkman, who doubled and scored in the first, made it 6-0 in the fifth with his 12th homer, a two-run shot to right off Lowe. The Astros' switch-hitting first baseman has six straight multihit games, and has hits in 16 of his last 20 at-bats.
Reds-Mets (ppd.)
NEW YORK -- The scheduled game between the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets was postponed because of rain.
It will be made up Saturday as part of a day-night doubleheader, with start times of 1:10 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Johan Santana is slated to pitch the opener for New York against Matt Belisle, with Mike
Pelfrey getting the ball in Game 2 against Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo.
Belisle and Pelfrey had been the scheduled starters Friday.
Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 1
CHICAGO -- Ted Lilly gave up another homer to Chris Young, but instead of throwing a tantrum on the mound the left-hander led Chicago over Arizona in the first meeting between the teams since the Diamondbacks' first-round sweep in last year's playoffs.
Young homered off Lilly in Game 2 last October in Phoenix during Arizona's 8-4 win, prompting the Lilly to slam his glove on the pitcher's mound in frustration, a move seen more often among Little Leaguers than big leaguers.
This time Lilly surrendered a first-inning solo homer to Young, then gave up just two hits over the next six innings. Lilly (3-4) struck out 10 against the team with the best record in the majors (23-13) and also drove in the tying run off Dan Haren with a fifth-inning single.
Carlos Marmol got out of the eighth with the help of a strange double play when Arizona's Eric Byrnes was called for interference when his backswing apparently struck catcher Geovany Soto. Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his sixth save in nine chances. On a chilly 46-degree day at Wrigley Field, the Cubs won for just the fifth time in 14 games.
Rockies 4, Padres 2
SAN DIEGO -- Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe hit consecutive bases-loaded singles off Peavy (4-2) in the sixth inning and Colorado sent the Padres to their 18th loss in 22 games.
The Padres' fifth straight loss came hours after they released struggling center fielder Jim Edmonds. San Diego (12-24) has the worst record in the majors.
Colorado's Aaron Cook (6-1) won his sixth straight start, combining with two relieves on a four-hitter. Matt Holliday homered for the defending NL champion Rockies, who won their third straight after losing 13 of 16.
Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth for his fourth save in six chances.
