ST. LOUIS - In their opening series, the Brewers resemble a changed team.
Brady Clark homered in his first two at-bats, and Keith Ginter hit a three-run homer to help power the Brewers' backups over the Cardinals 11-5 Thursday.
Milwaukee, which got four hits from Scott Podsednik, took three of four and outscored St. Louis 30-25.
"Everything's upgraded for me," said manager Ned Yost, whose team has the major leagues' lowest payroll at $27.5-million. "Our bench is upgraded, our bullpen is better, our starting pitching is better, our offense is better."
Last year, Milwaukee began 0-6, including three losses in St. Louis at the start of the season, and finished 68-94 for its 11th consecutive losing season.
The Brewers went 3-13 against the Cardinals last season.
Albert Pujols hit his first two home runs of the season for the Cardinals, including a three-run shot in the fifth.
Chris Capuano (1-0) gave up four runs, one earned, and four hits in six innings. Hector Luna homered off him in his first major-league at-bat.
Dave Burba pitched three innings for his second career save, his first since 1991 with Seattle.
Jeff Suppan (0-1) threw 86 pitches in four-plus innings, giving up six runs and eight hits.
All four Cardinals starters struggled in the series, allowing 19 earned runs in 181/3 innings.
Cody McKay, a backup catcher, pitched the last two innings for the Cardinals.
McKay walked one in two hitless innings.
He threw the Cardinals' first 1-2-3 inning of the game in the eighth, needing only three pitches to retire the first two hitters.
Clark, who entered the season with 12 homers in 533 at-bats, made his first start of the year and hit nearly identical two-run drives to left in the second and third innings.
It's the first multihomer game for Clark, who set a career best with four runs batted in.
BRAVES 10, METS 8: Johnny Estrada had a career-high four RBIs for host Atlanta. A night after 15 players came to the plate during an 11-run inning, the Braves sent 10 up in a four-run sixth that gave them the lead for good. Pinch-hitter Jesse Garcia came up twice in the inning, just as Julio Franco did Wednesday night in the same role. Estrada tied a career high with three hits, and Marcus Giles had four for Atlanta, which bounced back from a season-opening loss to the Mets to score 27 runs in the next two games. Will Cunnane (1-0) picked up the win despite giving up the tying run in the sixth, and John Smoltz got his first save despite allowing a home run to Mike Cameron in the ninth. Ty Wigginton hit a two-run homer and drove in a career-high four runs for the Mets.
MARLINS 3, EXPOS 0: Dontrelle Willis pitched five-hit ball into the eighth, went 3-for-3 and scored with a headfirst slide to help lift host Florida. Mike Lowell led off the second inning with his first homer of the season, and Luis Castillo and Miguel Cabrera had run-scoring singles for Florida, who took two of three to win their sixth straight series against Montreal. Willis, last year's NL Rookie of the Year, struck out eight and walked one in 72/3 innings.
REDS 5, CUBS 3: Not even Sammy Sosa's first homer could prevent the Cubs from losing again. Sean Casey had three hits, including a bases-loaded double that drove in two, and overlooked Jose Acevedo pitched six solid innings, leading host Cincinnati. By taking two of three, the Reds moved above .500 for the first time since June 19. The Cubs dropped below the break-even mark for the first time since last July. Acevedo gave up five hits, all for extra bases, and didn't walk a batter in six innings, throwing 61 strikes in 81 pitches. Sosa is one homer behind Ernie Banks' 512 for the franchise record. Sosa has 540 overall, 10th behind Mike Schmidt at 548.
PIRATES 6, PHILLIES 2: Ryan Vogelsong, who pitched his way into host Pittsburgh's rotation with a breakout spring, limited Philadelphia to a run and six hits over seven innings.
D'BACKS 6, ROCKIES 5 (11): Richie Sexson's two-run homer won it for host Arizona. Shea Hillenbrand's home run of Turk Wendell in the seventh tied it at 4 for Arizona. Colorado took a 5-4 lead in the 11th on Todd Greene's leadoff homer.
Matt Kata led off Arizona's 11th with his third single. He advanced to second on a wild pitch then took third on Luis Gonzalez's fly out. Sexson then hit a 1-and-0 pitch from Shawn Chacon 434 feet.
PADRES 4, GIANTS 3 (10): Sean Burroughs tied it with a single in the ninth and capped a two-run rally in the 10th for host San Diego. Marquis Grissom's homer off Antonio Osuna gave the Giants the lead in the 10th. But Matt Herges couldn't hold it.
With two outs, he walked Khalil Greene to put men on first and second. Miguel Ojeda doubled to score Kerry Robinson. And Burroughs won it with a single to left.
