MILWAUKEE - Corey Patterson saw one pitch he loved up close and plenty more he admired from far away.
Patterson hit a two-run homer off Brooks Kieschnick in the 17th inning Thursday to give the Cubs a 4-2 victory over Milwaukee and a four-game sweep of the Brewers.
"I just wanted to get the game over with," Patterson said.
Kieschnick said the fastball was a mistake: right down the middle, thigh-high. But the ones that Patterson saw from the dugout and then centerfield really caught his eye.
"I get a kick out of watching our pitching staff," said Patterson, who pinch-hit for Kerry Wood in the eighth and ended up going 3-for-5.
The Brewers set an NL record for strikeouts in an extra-inning game with 24, two more than the previous mark, set by the Mets on May 31, 1964, and tied by Cincinnati on Aug. 8, 1972.
Ending what began as a pitcher's duel between Wood and Ben Sheets, Patterson connected with two outs for his eighth homer, hitting a 2-0 pitch from Kieschnick.
Kyle Farnsworth pitched three innings for the win, and Todd Wellemeyer struck out the side in the 17th for a save in his major-league debut.
BRAVES 15, PADRES 6: Julio Franco's two-run triple highlighted an eight-run fifth for visiting Atlanta.
There was a scary moment when Padres slugger Ryan Klesko - a former Braves star - was beaned by Atlanta rookie left-hander Horacio Ramirez leading off the fifth. Klesko, a left-hander, was knocked to the ground after getting hit near the right ear flap on his batting helmet. Klesko was taken to a hospital and a CT scan showed no fracture, the team said. He has a bruised right cheek.
Padres pitcher Jaret Wright hit Chipper Jones in the back, right between the numbers, on his first pitch of the sixth inning. Plate umpire Jim Reynolds warned Wright and both dugouts.
CARDINALS 6, REDS 3: Garrett Stephenson allowed two hits in seven innings and Edgar Renteria's run-scoring double woke up a slumbering offense for host St. Louis.
Jim Edmonds hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who avoided being swept by Cincinnati for the second time in a row. Renteria's hit snapped a seventh-inning tie.
Pinch-hitter Ken Griffey had a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth to cut it to 6-3, but Cal Eldred struck out Juan Castro with two on for his first career save.
ASTROS 6, PIRATES 2: Richard Hidalgo drove in two runs with a home run and double and visiting Houston beat Pittsburgh for the seventh time in 11 days.
Hidalgo had a run-scoring double in a two-run fourth inning and a go-ahead homer in the sixth.
Roy Oswalt limited the Pirates to two runs in six innings and helped himself with a double in the seventh, scoring on Craig Biggio's double. Biggio had two RBIs.
Oswalt didn't come out to pitch the seventh after straining his right groin running the bases. The Astros don't know yet if the injury will prevent Oswalt from making his next start.
PHILLIES 6, D'BACKS 4: David Bell hit a go-ahead double in a three-run seventh for host Philadelphia.
Bobby Abreu and Ricky Ledee hit home runs for the Phillies, who snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided being swept for the first time this season.
With Philadelphia trailing 4-3, Jimmy Rollins led off the seventh with a double and was sacrificed to third by Placido Polanco. After Jim Thome was walked intentionally, Rollins scored on a wild pitch by reliever Oscar Villarreal. Pat Burrell walked and Mike Myers came in to retire Abreu on a popup.
Mike Koplove relieved and was greeted by Bell's run-scoring double to left.
GIANTS 11, METS 3: Barry Bonds homered, and Marquis Grissom homered and drove in four runs as host San Francisco ended its longest losing streak in four seasons.
New York left-hander Al Leiter had his worst start ever, allowing a career-high 10 runs and 13 hits in 42/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
The Mets lost their third straight and sixth of eight overall. They are 0-11 in regular-season games at Pac Bell Park.
