Montreal ? The Atlanta Braves picked up right where they left off.

Andruw Jones and Gary Sheffield hit three-run homers Thursday as the Atlanta Braves returned from the All-Star break by beating the Montreal Expos 8-5.

Atlanta's Andruw Jones nails a three-run homer off Montreal pitcher Tony Armas Jr. Jones and teammate Gary Sheffield each hit three-run homers in the Braves' 8-5 win.

Atlanta won for the 38th time in 49 games, opening a 101â2-game lead in the NL East and improving the best record in the major leagues to 57-32.

“We played so well in the first half and to open it up against a team in our division, it makes it really tough,” Sheffield said. “We got off to a good start.”

Kevin Millwood (7-5) won his fifth straight decision despite allowing three home runs, two to Vladimir Guerrero.

Millwood, who hasn’t lost since May 18, allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.

John Smoltz struck out the side in the ninth for his 32nd save, tying Los Angeles’ Eric Gagne for the major league lead.

“It’s a nice place to start the second half, especially with a team that’s going to make a charge,” Millwood said. “We want to keep moving.”

Mets 9, Phillies 1

New York Roberto Alomar doubled to key an eight-run burst in the eighth inning and capped it with an RBI single as the New York Mets beat Philadelphia.

Mike Piazza and Timo Perez each drove in three runs, but New York starter Al Leiter only allowed one run as he struck out eight and lowered his ERA over his last seven starts to 1.90.

Astros 4, Reds 3

Houston Geoff Blum hit a three-run homer, and Roy Oswalt pitched seven-plus innings as the Astros won their ninth game in 11 outings.

Jeff Bagwell and Daryle Ward led off the second inning with consecutive doubles off Elmer Dessens (5-5), scoring one run. After Orlando Merced singled, Blum hit his fourth homer to make it 4-1.

Pirates 3, Brewers 2, 10 innings

Milwaukee This time, an extra-inning game at Miller Park wound up with a winner. Two days after the All-Star game finished in an unpopular, 11-inning tie at the park, Brian Giles hit a home run in the 10th and Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee.

Giles hit his 23rd homer with one out off Mike DeJean (0-4).

Brian Boehringer (2-2) was the winner. Mike Williams, who pitched in the All-Star game, got his 26th save.

Jose Hernandez, who played for the Brewers in the All-Star game, tied it at 2 in the eighth with a homer off Josh Fogg.

Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 3

Los Angeles Quinton McCracken doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning as Arizona beat Los Angeles Thursday night to narrow the Dodgers’ NL West lead to 11â2 games.

With the outfield playing shallow, McCracken drove a pitch from Paul Quantrill into the gap in right-center to score Steve Finley.

Shawn Green and Adrian Beltre hit solo homers off Arizona ace Randy Johnson. Green connected in the first inning and Beltre homered in the sixth to tie it at 3. Johnson gave up three runs on six hits, throwing 124 pitches in just six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Giants 3, Rockies 2

San Francisco J.T. Snow tripled and scored on Reggie Sanders’ one-out single in the ninth inning as San Francisco beat Colorado for its third straight victory.

Snow, who lost his starting job last month and has been in danger of getting waived, began the season’s second half with his best game of the year.

Snow put his 12th career triple in the right-center field gap against Rockies closer Jose Jimenez (2-6). Moments later, Sanders singled to center, bringing the Giants on the field to embrace Snow at home plate.