Cincinnati ? Darren Oliver was getting impatient, just like everybody else.

The left-hander couldn’t wait for the first game to end so he could make his first start for the Houston Astros. By the time he took the mound, a whole lot already had happened.

Oliver pitched five stingy innings Saturday, setting up an 8-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that finished off another draining day at Great American Ball Park.

It started with the Reds beating the Astros, 3-2, in 13 innings, completing a game suspended overnight because of rain. Oliver had to wait out yet another rain delay and extra innings before showing his stuff.

“I should have known that that was going to happen, after all of the other delays,” he said.

It worked out just fine. Three Astros combined on a four-hitter, and Carlos Beltran and Mike Lamb homered in a six-run ninth inning that assured the Astros of a split.

Left-hander Andy Pettitte was scratched from the second game because of a sore elbow, which also forced him out of his last start. Manager Phil Garner decided to skip Pettitte’s turn in the rotation, giving him a few more days to fully recover.

Oliver (3-3), acquired from Florida on July 22, made his first start for the Astros and allowed only Adam Dunn’s single in five innings — exactly what Houston needed to get through a long day.

A tiny crowd was on hand when the teams handled the first order of business — picking up a game suspended Friday night in the sixth inning with the score tied at 2.

Houston's Carlos Beltran, front, slides safely into home plate in front of Cincinnati catcher Javier Valentin in the fourth inning of the teams' second game. The Astros and Reds split the rain-plagued doubleheader Saturday in Cincinnati.

Two players who had just met for the first time finished off one of the majors’ most unusual games of the season.

Josh Hancock, who wasn’t even on the Reds’ roster for the game’s first pitch, wound up getting the victory after catcher Jason LaRue doubled home the winning run in the 13th.

Hancock (1-1) was acquired late Friday from Philadelphia.

He had never even met LaRue until he came in to warm up for the 13th inning.

“I met LaRue on the mound and said, ‘Fastball, slider, changeup, nice to see you,”‘ Hancock said.

Phillies 4, Cubs 3

Chicago — Mike Lieberthal and Bobby Abreu each hit two-run homers following Chicago errors, helping Philadelphia end its five-game losing skid.

Pirates 4, Brewers 1

Milwaukee — Ryan Vogelsong started for the traded Kris Benson and threw five innings. Vogelsong (3-7) gave up three hits and one run in his first start since June 23, when he was sent to the bullpen following a seven-game losing streak.

Braves 8, Mets 0

Atlanta — Jaret Wright stayed undefeated in July, and Johnny Estrada homered to spoil the Mets debut of Kris Benson. Pitching against the Braves for his third straight start, Benson (8-9) lasted only five innings and lost for the second time in a row.

Expos 8, Marlins 5

Miami — Terrmel Sledge hit his first career grand slam after Paul Lo Duca hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat for Florida. Lo Duca, acquired with two other players from the Dodgers Friday, joined the Marlins in their dugout in the fifth inning and entered in the sixth as a pinch-hitter.

Rockies 8, D’backs 4

Denver — Shawn Estes pitched six innings and Colorado took advantage of Arizona’s shoddy defense in a five-run sixth inning.

Padres 3, Dodgers 2

San Diego — Phil Nevin’s infield single drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Jay Payton and Mark Loretta also had RBIs for the Padres.

Giants 8, Cardinals 7

San Francisco — Ray Durham’s bases-loaded triple capped the Giants’ eight-run first inning, and San Francisco held on.