NL: Dodgers outslug Cardinals

ST. LOUIS - Hee-Seop Choi hit a go-ahead, three-run homer after he withstood a collision that forced Scott Rolen from the game with a sprained left shoulder in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-8 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Jeff Kent also homered and Cesar Izturis had two hits and two RBIs, helping the Dodgers end a six-game losing streak at Busch Stadium, counting the first round of the postseason last year.

Choi drove in four for the Dodgers, who squandered an early three-run lead but erased a four-run deficit with a six-run sixth against Matt Morris and reliever Kevin Jarvis.

Rolen hit a two-run shot in the fourth. Reggie Sanders homered twice and had four RBIs for the Cardinals, who have homered five times in the first two games of the four-game series. Albert Pujols had a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly that cut the gap to 9-8 in the sixth, giving him six RBIs in the series. But he grounded into an inning-ending double play against Giovanni Carrara with runners on first and second in the eighth.

Rolen and Sanders hit consecutive homers in the fourth to tie it at 3. Sanders capped a four-run fifth with a three-run shot, his ninth, to put the Cardinals ahead 7-3.

Former Devil Ray Wilson Alvarez got one out in the fifth to earn the win. Yhency Brazoban got three outs for his 10th save in 11 chances.

Kent hit his eighth homer leading off the sixth against Morris. Izturis had a two-run single with two outs off Jarvis, and Choi hit his sixth homer as the Dodgers batted around. With left-hander Randy Flores warming up, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa elected to let the right-handed Jarvis face switch-hitting Izturis and left-handed batters Choi and J.D. Drew in succession, and only Drew was retired.

CUBS 7, METS 0: Greg Maddux struck out 10 in his best outing of the season, and Corey Patterson hit two homers to lead host Chicago.

The Cubs, who won for the second time in 10 games, homered in four straight innings, with Jason Dubois adding a shot and Jeromy Burnitz hitting a two-run drive.

Maddux handcuffed the Mets with an array of offspeed stuff, improving to 34-16 lifetime against New York. Cubs manager Dusty Baker was booed when he pulled him with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, but the fans gave Maddux a standing ovation.

MARLINS 6, ASTROS 2: Mike Lowell snapped a slump and broke a tie with a two-run double, and host Florida scored five in the eighth.

The Marlins trailed 2-1 entering the eighth, but Carlos Delgado tied the score with his fourth home run, ending reliever Russ Springer's streak of 91/3 scoreless innings over 10 outings.

Miguel Cabrera reached on an infield single, and Paul Lo Duca doubled. Jeff Conine was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Springer departed.

Lowell pulled Chad Qualls' first pitch off the scoreboard to put Florida ahead. Lowell snapped an 0-for-11 skid.

BRAVES 9, ROCKIES 5: Johnny Estrada's two-run double sparked a six-run first for visiting Atlanta, which snapped Colorado's two-game winning streak and won for the sixth time in seven games.

REDS 5, PADRES 1: Sean Casey drove in three with two doubles, and host Cincinnati's besieged bullpen ended a long stretch of miserable performances. Casey doubled in a run in the fifth and drove in two in the seventh.

D'BACKS 3, NATIONALS 2: Troy Glaus brought host Arizona from behind with a three-run homer in the sixth, and the Diamondbacks snapped their 10-game losing streak against the Washington franchise.

PIRATES 5, GIANTS 2: Jason Bay hit a three-run homer and Jose Castillo and Humberto Cota also connected to lead visiting Pittsburgh.

BREWERS 8, PHILLIES 5: Brady Clark ignited a four-run sixth with his third hit of the game and host Milwaukee rallied.

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 01:04:02]