Gomes homer helps Reds to first win

CINCINNATI (AP) - Jonny Gomes hit a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday, sending the Cincinnati Reds to their first win of the season, 2-1 over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gomes connected on a 2-2 pitch from Jason Motte (0-1), brought into the game to face him.

Francisco Cordero (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth in relief of Bronson Arroyo, who went the first eight innings and singled home a run. After scoring 17 runs in the first two games, the Cardinals managed only four hits in the series finale, including Matt Holliday's first homer.

Brad Penny, who signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal last December with the Cardinals, gave up six hits and one run in seven innings.

Nationals 6, Phillies 5

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ryan Zimmerman drove in the tiebreaking run off new Philadelphia reliever Nelson Figueroa with a blooper to shallow right that landed inches fair, and the Washington avoided a season-opening, three-game sweep.

Willie Harris hit a two-run homer for the Nationals, and Tyler Clippard (1-0) earned the victory with 1 2-3 innings of relief. Matt Capps worked around Chase Utley's leadoff double in the ninth for his first save with Washington.

Figueroa (0-1) was added to the roster Thursday after being waived by the Mets.

Dodgers 10, Pirates 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Ronnie Belliard homered among three extra base hits and drove in four runs, and Los Angeles avoided being swept in a three-game series by the Pirates for the first time in 10 years.

The Dodgers got 16 hits off four Pirates pitchers, including 10 from their No. 1-4 hitters. Reed Johnson doubled among three hits and scored twice, and Matt Kemp, James Loney and Garret Anderson drove in two runs each.

Belliard hit a two-run homer off Paul Maholm (0-1).

Chad Billingsley (1-0) limited the Pirates to a run over 5 1-3 innings before being lifted after throwing 107 pitches. The right-hander gave up five hits, striking out seven and walking four. Cubs 2, Braves 0

ATLANTA (AP) - Randy Wells pitched six scoreless innings and Carlos Marmol stranded two baserunners in the ninth inning.

Rookie Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd homered for Chicago, which had only four hits.

Wells (1-0), who combined with four relievers on the eight-hit shutout, outpitched Tommy Hanson (0-1) in a matchup of top 2009 rookies. The Cubs avoided a three-game sweep.

Atlanta's Chipper Jones left the game after the third inning with a sore right side and is listed as day to day.

John Grabow, who gave up Jones' two-run homer in the eighth inning of the Braves' 3-2 win on Wednesday night, was called on in the eighth again. He walked Brian McCann, the only batter he faced, to put runners on first and second.

Marmol ended the inning when Troy Glaus grounded out to third base, then finished the ninth for his first save.

Marlins 3, Mets 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Nate Robertson pitched five solid innings in his first start for Florida in eight seasons.

Jorge Cantu hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the fifth and Gaby Sanchez added a run-scoring double in the sixth for Florida, which took the last two of the three-game set after losing 7-1 on opening day.

The Mets wasted an effective outing by Jonathon Niese (0-1), who made his first start at Citi Field since he tore his right hamstring during a victory over St. Louis last August. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings.

Jeff Francoeur hit an RBI double in the fourth but that was all New York could manage against Robertson (1-0). Burke Badenhop followed with three innings of one-hit ball and Leo Nunez finished for his first save.