New York ? Something in the New York Mets always seems to bring out the best in the Atlanta Braves.

Pinch-hitter Keith Lockhart lined a leadoff home run in the ninth inning and the Braves defeated the Mets, 3-2, Monday night for their sixth straight victory.

“It’s nice to beat these guys, no matter how you do it,” Lockhart said. “It’s a great place to win. Even if you’re both 10 games out, it’s always a big series.”

The first-place Braves beat their NL East rivals for the fifth straight time. Atlanta improved to 17-4 in June behind a solid effort from starter Kevin Millwood and the majors’ best bullpen.

The Mets began a big week four games against the Braves and three against the Yankees by dropping 81/2 games behind Atlanta.

“It’s pretty much the obvious,” said Mets star Mike Piazza, hitless in four at-bats. “We put ourselves in a tough position and we have to try to battle back. It’s frustrating. We have to try to put this one behind us.”

Lockhart was only 2-for-28 as a pinch-hitter this season when he batted for Jesse Garcia. Lockhart fell behind 0-2 against Scott Strickland (6-4) but came back on the eighth pitch of the at-bat for his fifth career pinch-homer.

“It’s not as easy as we think it is,” Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. “You’re always facing the best pitcher in the bullpen.”

Lockhart quickly circled the bases after his drive to right field while Strickland stayed in a prolonged crouch on the mound.

“I wanted to get him out before it got to 3-2. I made some good pitches and he fouled them off,” Strickland said. “He did his job and I didn’t do mine.”

Mike Remlinger got three outs in the seventh, Kevin Gryboski (2-1) worked a scoreless eighth and John Smoltz pitched a perfect ninth for his 24th save in 27 chances.

The Mets had won six of eight overall, but dropped to 4-6 against Atlanta this season.

Jeromy Burnitz opened the Mets seventh with his first home run in a month, tying it at 2. He connected on the first pitch from Millwood, late getting to the mound after running the bases in the top half on a humid, 87-degree night.

“He was spent that inning on the bases,” Cox said.

Millwood retired the first 12 batters and didn’t give up a hit until Roger Cedeno’s one-out single in the fifth.

Millwood helped himself early with a nifty, behind-the-back stab on Rey Ordonez’s grounder in the third inning. Millwood got Ordonez to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fifth.

“Kevin was absolutely dynamite,” Cox said. “That’s his old form. He’s really tough right now.”

Phillies 15, Marlins 4

Miami Ricky Ledee had a career-high four hits, hiking his average from .140 to .190, and Vicente Padilla pitched five innings for his 10th victory.

Pat Burrell and Mike Lieberthal each homered and drove in four runs. Bobby Abreu also homered.

Padilla (10-4) was taken out as a precaution after bruising his right arm when hit by a pitch. The right-hander won his fourth consecutive decision, allowing two hits and one run.

Cubs 6, Reds 4

Chicago Delino DeShields hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Chicago bats broke through late to hand Cincinnati its eighth straight loss. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, the Cubs took control in the seventh with an RBI double by Roosevelt Brown off Scott Williamson (2-2) and DeShields’ third homer. Chicago added two runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Bill Mueller and a sacrifice fly by Angel Echevarria. The Cubs have won three straight games.

Giants 7, Padres 6

San Diego Barry Bonds tied the game with a three-run homer in the seventh, then won it in the ninth with a solo shot off closer Trevor Hoffman. Bonds has 24 homers this season and 591 in his career. He’s fourth on the all-time list, 69 behind his godfather, Willie Mays. It was his 60th career multihomer game. With one out in the ninth, Bonds drove the first pitch he saw from Hoffman (1-1) down the right field line, curling just inside the foul pole. It went an estimated 378 feet. They were Bonds’ first homers since June 12, a span of just eight games. Tim Worrell (4-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the win. Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 22 chances.

Rockies 4, Dodgers 1

Los Angeles An emotionally charged Mike Hampton won for the first time in four starts and hit his second home run of the season as Colorado won its fifth straight. Pitching for the first time since the death of former Houston teammate Darryl Kile, Hampton wore Kile’s No. 57 on his cap. He allowed one run and five hits over six innings and was aided by three double plays. The two-time All-Star won for just the second time in nine road decisions and lowered his ERA from 7.07 to 6.70.