CINCINNATI — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 599th career homer Saturday, leaving him one shy of a seldom-reached mark, and Jay Bruce extended his amazing weeklong debut with a 10th-inning homer that lifted the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Bruce’s first big league homer off Manny Acosta (3-2) dealt another crushing road defeat to the Braves, who couldn’t hold a one-run lead heading into the ninth.
Griffey was on deck when Bruce connected for the game-winning solo shot. The 21-year-old rookie rounded the bases, flipped his helmet into the air halfway to home, then got pummeled by teammates when he hopped on the plate.
The Reds’ top prospect is 11-for-19 in his first five games in the majors, providing one big hit after another. He has a pair of three-hit games and a four-hit game.
Francisco Cordero (2-0) pitched the 10th, sending the Braves to an excruciatingly familiar finish. Atlanta has lost its last 20 one-run games on the road since August, matching the second-longest such streak in major league history.
Diamondbacks 4, Nationals 0
PHOENIX — Brandon Webb threw his eighth career shutout, Mark Reynolds homered twice and Arizona snapped a five-game losing streak.
Webb (10-2) scattered six singles in his second complete game of the year and 14th of his career. He struck out eight and hit two.
Reynolds hit solo shots off Jason Bergmann (1-2) in the second and the seventh for his 10th and 11th homers. Reynolds also made a sprawling over-the-shoulder catch to rob Dmitri Young of a hit in the ninth.
Justin Upton and Chris Young also homered for the Diamondbacks.
Bergmann gave up four runs and seven hits in eight innings, his longest outing and first complete game. He struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk for the first time this season.
Marlins 7, Phillies 3
PHILADELPHIA — Ricky Nolasco pitched 6 2-3 strong innings and Florida roughed up Cole Hamels in a victory that ended Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak.
Luis Gonzalez hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Cody Ross and Jorge Cantu also went deep for the upstart Marlins, who moved back into first place in the NL East — a half-game ahead of the Phillies.
Chase Utley hit his major league-leading 19th homer for Philadelphia. Utley also leads the NL with 49 RBIs.
Nolasco (5-3) allowed two runs and four hits to win his fourth straight decision. The right-hander held in check a potent lineup that scored 60 runs in the previous five games.
Hamels (5-4) lasted 5 2-3 innings, allowing seven runs and eight hits.
It was Gonzalez’s 350th career homer.
Mets 3, Dodgers 2
NEW YORK — Carlos Beltran hit a tying homer and Fernando Tatis singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for the Mets.
Mike Pelfrey tossed seven solid innings to keep New York close, making a strong case to stay in the majors. Stifled all afternoon by Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley, the Mets came back against Jonathan Broxton (2-2) in the eighth to win for the fourth time in five games following a 1-7 skid.
Blake DeWitt hit an RBI single for the Dodgers, who dropped to 1-5 on their seven-game road trip with their seventh loss in nine games.
Duaner Sanchez (2-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the win and Billy Wagner struck out all three batters in the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances.
Cubs 5, Rockies 4
CHICAGO — Alfonso Soriano homered and drove in three runs to help Chicago earn its sixth straight win.
The NL Central-leading Cubs improved to 25-8 at Wrigley Field this season and handed the Rockies their sixth straight loss.
Ryan Dempster (7-2) struggled with his command and lasted just five innings, but managed to get the win. He walked four, hit a batter with a pitch and was charged with three runs and three hits.
Carlos Marmol worked the ninth for his third save in four chances.
Omar Quintanilla, Todd Helton and Scott Podsednik homered for the Rockies. Former Cub Glendon Rusch (1-3), making his first start since July 9, 2006, gave up nine hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Pirates 14, Cardinals 4
ST. LOUIS — Luis Rivas hit his first career grand slam and Xavier Nady and Ronny Paulino drove in three runs apiece for Pittsburgh.
Nady hit a three-run double in a four-run first and Rivas finished a five-run third with a two-out drive to left-center. Rivas’ third home run of the season came on the second pitch he saw from Kelvin Jimenez, who entered to face Rivas in relief of rookie starter Mike Parisi (0-2).
Tony La Russa managed his 2,000th game with St. Louis, surpassing Red Schoendienst for most games as a Cardinals manager. Troy Glaus hit his third home run and Albert Pujols had two hits.
The Pirates finished with season highs for runs and hits (19).
Paul Maholm (3-5) allowed one run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings to earn his first win since April 27 against Philadelphia.
Brewers 4, Astros 1
MILWAUKEE — Ben Sheets got within one out of pitching his third complete game of the season, and Prince Fielder and Russell Branyan homered for Milwaukee.
Sheets left after walking Lance Berkman in the ninth inning, but Salomon Torres came on to get Carlos Lee to fly out for his fifth save. Sheets (6-1) gave up seven hits while striking out five to win for just the second time this month.
The victory was the sixth in eight games for the Brewers, who still trail the front-running Cubs by seven games in the NL Central.
The Astros have lost four in a row, their longest losing streak of the season.
Brian Moehler (2-2) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings for Houston.
Padres 5, Giants 1
SAN FRANCISCO — Josh Banks pitched a six-hitter for his first career complete game and sent the Padres to their fifth win in six games.
Banks had a shutout going into the ninth, but allowed Aaron Rowand’s RBI single.
Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run single in San Diego’s four-run first as San Diego staked Banks (2-0) to a comfortable cushion, and added another RBI single in the seventh that scored his big brother, Edgar.
The 25-year-old Banks was impressive in his first start of 2008, first for the Padres and second of his career. The right-hander got through six innings on an efficient 60 pitches and finished the day with 101, striking out five and not surrendering a walk.
Pat Misch (0-2) allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings for the Giants.
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