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Cards' Rolen, Benes start fresh

MIAMI -- Scott Rolen had been this nervous twice, during his major-league debut in 1996 and at his first All-Star Game this month.

Both turned out fine, so maybe this will, too.

Andy Benes won for the first time in almost a year, Edgar Renteria homered twice and Rolen had a run-scoring triple in his St. Louis debut as the Cardinals beat the Florida Marlins 5-0 Tuesday night.

Rolen got two hits and played perfect defense, making his first game with St. Louis a complete success. The 27-year-old third baseman was traded a day earlier following an unhappy stay in Philadelphia.

"The game is the same, but tonight had a different feel," Rolen said. "You want everything to work out. You want to do everything you can to help this team. There are a bunch of professionals here. You can tell that right away. These guys don't just show up at the ballpark and go through the motions. They come to win."

Winning for the seventh time in nine games, St. Louis remained a season-high five games ahead of Cincinnati in the Central.

Benes, still battling arthritis in his right knee, retired 10 of his final 11 batters. He went a season-high 61/3 innings, a great sign for the Cardinals.

Benes won for the first time since Aug. 13. It was his first victory as a starter since June 13, 2001.

"I've been through a lot this past year," said Benes, who might need surgery after the season. "There was a time I didn't know I would make it back. My attitude now is I look at each time out as an opportunity. That's all I can ask for."

GIANTS 10, PHILLIES 3: Kenny Lofton homered in his first at-bat with San Francisco and Kirk Rueter pitched six strong innings to lead the visiting Giants.

Lofton, acquired from the White Sox for two minor-leaguers Sunday, hit the second pitch of the game from rookie Brett Myers over the left-centerfield wall for his 24th career leadoff homer.

The six-time All-Star also tripled in the sixth. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

REDS 12, DODGERS 4: An out-of-synch Kazuhisa Ishii failed to make it out of the third inning, and visiting Los Angeles had three errors and a run-scoring passed ball.

Ishii gave up a season-high eight runs in 22/3 innings, his shortest outing in 21 starts since arriving as a free agent from Japan. The left-hander walked six and gave up homers to Jason LaRue and Aaron Boone as the Reds pulled ahead 8-0.

EXPOS 5, D'BACKS 4 (10): Vladimir Guerrero homered in the 10th as host Montreal ended Arizona's season-high seven-game winning streak.

Montreal allowed an unearned run with two outs in the eighth to blow a 4-3 lead. With Steve Finley on third, reliever Matt Herges got Rod Barajas to ground to shortstop Orlando Cabrera, but the throw bounced in the dirt past Andres Galarraga at first, allowing Finley to score the tying run.

BRAVES 3, BREWERS 2: Damian Moss allowed two hits in seven innings and Gary Sheffield doubled in two runs in a three-run sixth as host Atlanta ended Milwaukee's four-game winning streak.

Moss, who pitched one-hit ball over seven innings in a 10-0 win at Florida in his last start Wednesday, has won three in a row and allowed one earned run in his past 20 innings.

ASTROS 16, METS 3: Geoff Blum drove in five runs with four hits, and visiting Houston tied a season high with 20 hits.

Astros rookie Kirk Saarloos won his third straight game since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans, giving up six hits in 61/3 innings in his sixth major-league start.

PIRATES 4, ROCKIES 1: Kris Benson allowed three hits over eight innings in his best start of the season as host Pittsburgh snapped a six-game skid. Benson, who returned in May from an 18-month layoff after reconstructive elbow surgery, hadn't pitched longer than seven innings since.

PADRES 6, CUBS 5: Tom Lampkin tied the score with a seventh-inning home run and singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth for visiting San Diego.

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