St. Louis ? Even on a chilly night, Matt Morris made himself right at home in Busch Stadium.

Backed by Jim Edmonds’ two solo home runs and J.D. Drew’s long two-run shot, Morris pitched the St. Louis Cardinals past the Houston Astros 7-3 Friday night.

Morris (3-0) has won eight consecutive decisions at Busch Stadium dating back to last July 24. He has won 16 of his last 17 starts at home.

“I attribute today’s win all to the team,” Morris said. “I had some tough innings. The team picked me up. I could relax, even though I wasn’t throwing well. I like going out there first.”

Morris gave up two runs and six hits in six innings, and beat Houston for the second time in a week. He was in trouble almost all game as the Astros stranded eight runners in the first five innings.

Morris said he didn’t have his best stuff. His curveball wasn’t snapping, he was a little wild and he frequently walked off the mound in the early innings.

“I was sweating and it was a little chilly. It was one of those days. I was lucky to get through it,” he said.

Manager Tony La Russa agreed.

“Based on his start, I didn’t think he’d make it through six innings,” La Russa said. “But one thing about Matt, he never stops competing. He’s so competitive.”

Wade Miller (0-2) pitched into the sixth inning, allowing six runs and seven hits.

The first two batters of the game reached for Houston, but Morris retired the next three hitters. The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the third on Richard Hidalgo’s RBI single.

St. Louis scored three times in its half of the third.

Fernando Vina, who has been hit by 50 pitches in the last two seasons, was plunked to start the inning.

“That’s my job. I got a little bruise. I guess I wouldn’t be Fernando Vina if I didn’t have bruise on me somewhere,” he said.

One out later, Drew hit a 496-foot shot off the scoreboard in right field, the eighth-longest homer at Busch since such statistics began being kept in 1988.

Braves 2, Marlins 0

Miami  Greg Maddux pitched five shutout innings in his first start of the year, and Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer in the first inning to help Atlanta beat Florida.

Atlanta turned five double plays, three on grounders by Kevin Millar, and beat Josh Beckett (0-1).

Maddux, activated before the game, allowed four hits and two walks and departed after 76 pitches. A sore lower back sent him to the DL for the first time in his career and forced him to miss his opening day start.

Mets 2, Expos 1

New York  Jeff D’Amico (1-0) made an impressive home debut for the Mets, allowing three hits in eight scoreless innings and striking out eight as New York won its third straight.

Jeromy Burnitz, who came from Milwaukee with D’Amico in a three-team, 11-player deal in January, hit a solo homer in the second inning and New York scored an unearned run in the seventh.

Cubs 7, Pirates 3

Pittsburgh  Sammy Sosa hit the longest home run in the short history of PNC Park, and Mark Bellhorn also homered for Chicago. Pittsburgh has lost three straight after winning five in a row.

Pirates starter Dave Williams (1-1) hit his first career home run, but allowed three drives of 400 feet or longer, including an estimated 484-foot shot by Sosa to center.

Reds 8, Phillies 5

Philadelphia  Juan Encarnacion homered in his third straight game and Barry Larkin doubled to key a six-run seventh inning that overcame a 5-2 deficit.

Larkin, who tripled and scored in the sixth, hit a tying double in the seventh and scored the go-ahead run.

Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 3

Denver  Curt Schilling (3-0) gave three runs in seven innings in outpitching Mike Hampton (0-3). The Diamondbacks are 6-0 when Schilling or Randy Johnson start. When the co-MVPs of the World Series do not pitch, Arizona is 0-5.

Dodgers 3, Padres 0

San Diego  Kazuhisa Ishii (2-0) combined with Giovanni Carrara and Eric Gagne on a two-hitter. Ishii struck out five and walked three in six innings, and Gagne got three outs for his fourth save,

Giants 5, Brewers 1

San Francisco  Barry Bonds hit his 573rd home run, tying Harmon Killebrew for sixth place on the career list, and San Francisco handed Milwaukee its sixth straight loss.

Bonds hit his major league-leading sixth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Ben Sheets (1-2) in the third inning.

Bonds nearly connected again in the seventh, but his long drive hooked foul and landed in the water beyond the right-field wall at Pacific Bell Park.