WASHINGTON (AP) - Josh Thole had three RBIs, including a two-run double that put the Mets ahead run in the sixth inning, and New York ran its winning streak to five games Tuesday night with a 6-4 win over the Washington Nationals.
Thole's double to the corner was just beyond the reach of left fielder Michael Morse and brought home Jason Bay and Ike Davis, breaking a 3-3 tie. The hit came off lefty Doug Slaten, who entered to face Thole.
Ryota Igarashi (1-0) struck out Jayson Werth to end the fifth inning. Starter Chris Young lasted 4 2-3 innings, allowing three runs and four hits in his first start since returning from the disabled list with tendinitis in his right biceps.
Jordan Zimmermann (1-4) allowed five runs and nine hits over 5 1-3 innings.
The Mets, opening a six-game road trip, moved within three games of .500 as they continue to recover from a dreadful start to the season.
Rockies 4, Cubs 3
CHICAGO (AP) - Todd Helton hit two home runs and Colorado beat Chicago.
Jorge De La Rosa (4-0) allowed one earned run in seven innings and Huston Street gave up a solo homer to Alfonso Soriano leading off the ninth before closing out the Cubs for his ninth straight save to start the season.
It was the 27th career multihomer game for Helton and his first since Aug. 7, 2007. against Milwaukee.
James Russell (1-3) gave up four runs, five hits and four walks in four innings.
Ty Wigginton had three hits for Colorado, including a homer and a double. Troy Tulowitzki added two hits and an RBI double in the third.
At 16-7, the Rockies have the best 23-game start in team history.
Brewers 3, Reds 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder all hit solo homers and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati for the first time this season.
Milwaukee had been 0-4 against the Reds this year and losers of 19 of 22 against them before Weeks homered off reliever Logan Ondrusek (2-2) to lead off the eighth.
Fielder hit his to begin the second to drive in his major league-leading 23rd run. Braun's shot to start the fourth was his major league-leading ninth this season.
Brandon Phillips was back in the cleanup spot and hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead, but it wouldn't last.
Kameron Loe (2-1) worked the eighth and John Axford threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save.
Astros 6, Cardinals 5
HOUSTON (AP) - Bill Hall's ninth-inning RBI single gave Houston a win over St. Louis.
Brian Bogusevic came home on a wild pitch by closer Mitchell Boggs (0-1) earlier in the inning. He singled before advancing taking second on a passed ball. Michael Bourn bunted and reached first on an error by Boggs that got Bogusevic to third to set up the score.
Angel Sanchez and Hunter Pence both singled to load the bases and set up Hall's one-out winner.
Lance Berkman put the Cardinals on top 5-4 with a ninth-inning RBI double off Brandon Lyon (2-1) before Hall ruined his homecoming.
Lyon allowed two hits and a run in the ninth for the win.
Pence homered and Chris Johnson drove in a pair of runs for Houston.
Giants 3, Pirates 2, 10 innings
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Darren Ford scored on a fielder's choice in the 10th inning and came home with the tying run as a pinch runner in the eighth, helping San Francisco snap a season-high four-game losing streak.
The Giants scored all their runs on plays that did not involve a hit.
Ford, a rookie without a hit in the majors, reached in the 10th when Nate Schierholtz - who led off with a double - was thrown out at third on Ford's sacrifice attempt. But Ford went from first to third on an errant pickoff throw by Joel Hanrahan (0-1).
He scored on Freddy Sanchez's grounder to second, waiting until Neil Walker threw to first before taking off for home and forcing an errant throw by first baseman Lyle Overbay.
In the eighth, Ford entered as a pinch runner and went from first to third on Sanchez's single. He scored two batters later on Buster Posey's sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2.
The Giants' first run also came on a sacrifice fly - Aubrey Huff drove in Aaron Rowand in the sixth.
Sergio Romo (1-0) earned the win with a perfect ninth.
Diamondbacks 7, Phillies 5
PHOENIX (AP) - Daniel Hudson doubled in two runs to help earn his first victory of the season and Arizona ended Roy Oswalt's string of 10 consecutive winning decisions by beating Philadelphia.
Oswalt (3-1) lasted just three innings, allowing five runs on six hits with no strikeouts and one walk. The right-hander had given up five runs in 24 innings in his first four starts this season and had not been the losing pitcher since a July 30, 2010, outing at Washington.
Hudson (1-4) scattered 10 hits in six innings, giving up two runs, striking out six with no walks. His two-run double off Oswalt in Arizona's three-run second inning put the Diamondbacks ahead for good.
Marlins 4, Dodgers 2
MIAMI (AP) - Mike Stanton drove in two runs, Chris Volstad pitched seven innings, and Florida beat Los Angeles.
Andre Ethier set a major league record for the longest April hitting streak with an RBI double that gave him a hit in 23 straight games.
Gaby Sanchez homered and Hanley Ramirez added a pair of hits and scored two runs for the Marlins, who have won seven of eight.
Volstad (1-1) allowed a baserunner in all but two innings, but kept himself out of serious trouble. Volstad allowed two runs, seven hits, and one walk. He struck out five.
Leo Nunez got his seventh straight save.
Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs in 5 1-3 innings and struck out five.
With the score tied at 2 in the sixth, Chris Coghlan and Ramirez singled. Sanchez walked to load the bases before Stanton hit a two-run single to right-center field off of Kershaw (2-3).
James Loney went 4 for 4 with four singles for the Dodgers, who have lost three of four.
Braves 8, Padres 2
SAN DIEGO (AP) - David Ross hit two home runs and Jair Jurrjens threw his first complete game in Atlanta's win over San Diego.
Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer in the first inning to tie Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle for second place among switch hitters with 1,509 RBIs.
Atlanta kept Aaron Harang from becoming the NL's first five-game winner.
Ross drove in four runs with a solo homer in the second and a three-run blast to cap the Braves' five-run sixth inning. Both home runs, Ross' first two of the season, came off Harang (4-1).
Jurrjens (2-0) had little trouble against the Padres, limiting them to nine hits for his first complete game in his 95th career start. His ERA rose slightly from 0.69 to 1.23.