Houston ? Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer and Willy Taveras had a go-ahead RBI single to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals and Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter on Thursday night.

The Astros are 19-9 through 28 games, the best start in franchise history, while the Cardinals have lost four straight, their longest losing streak since 2004.

Houston closer Brad Lidge put two men on in the ninth, but worked out of the jam by getting pinch-hitter Gary Bennett to ground into a force out. Lidge has 11 saves in 13 opportunities.

Brewers 7, Giants 4

Milwaukee – Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins homered, and the game ended with Barry Bonds on deck, hoping for a chance to pinch-hit as the potential tying run. As the crowd booed Bonds, Pedro Feliz hit a routine fly for the final out.

Mets 6, Pirates 0

New York – Tom Glavine baffled the young Pittsburgh Pirates with a variety of off-speed pitches and Xavier Nady hit a three-run homer, leading New York.

Marlins 11, Nationals 3

Washington – A day after Major League Baseball picked a buyer for the Nationals, and hours after the ceremonial groundbreaking for a new ballpark, Washington lost for the 10th time in 12 games.

Miguel Cabrera paced Florida’s 12-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, three runs and five RBIs. Rookies Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla each scored three times.

Phillies 6, Braves 3

Philadelphia – Ryan Howard drove in three runs with a solo homer and two sacrifice flies, helping Philadelphia win its fifth straight.

Cory Lidle (3-3) pitched six efficient innings, Jimmy Rollins homered and the Phillies evened their record (14-14) for the first time this season.

Reds 7, Rockies 1

Denver – Adam Dunn and Jason LaRue homered, and Aaron Harang won for the fifth straight time in Cincinnati’s victory over Colorado.

Harang (5-1) struck out a career-high 12.

Diamondbacks 6, Cubs 0

Phoenix – Chad Tracy homered for the third straight game, Damion Easley drove in three runs and Arizona beat Chicago to move into a first-place tie with its fifth victory in a row.

Easley had an RBI grounder in the second, a 452-foot homer to left leading off the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Padres 3, Dodgers 0

Los Angeles – Khalil Greene hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Padres to their fifth straight win,.

San Diego starter Clay Hensley was hit in the back of the head by a broken bat in the second inning but stayed in the game and pitched two-hit ball over six scoreless innings.