Chicago ? Jason Marquis made sure his energy and emotions were channeled in the right direction as he faced his former team. Just six months ago, the St. Louis Cardinals left him off the playoff roster for the final two rounds of the postseason.

Chicago Cubs' Michael Barrett, right, is congratulated at the plate by teammates Derrek Lee, left, and Jacque Jones (11) after his three-run home run. The Cubs beat the Cardinals, 6-0, in Chicago.

The Cardinals went on to win the World Series without Marquis and he left in free agency to a handsome three-year, $21 million dollar deal with the Chicago Cubs.

“I tried not to get too amped up about it. I was mentally able to slow myself down or slow my body down so I could make pitches,” Marquis said Saturday after throwing seven innings in the Cubs’ 6-0 win over the Cardinals.

“This is my third team. When I got traded from Atlanta to St. Louis, I was a little younger. I really used a lot of aggression facing the Atlanta Braves. It really worked against me. Today it was more my choice to come to the Chicago Cubs and that’s how I looked at it. This is the place I wanted to be,” he added.

Marquis (2-1) won 42 games in three seasons with the Cardinals. But he went 0-4 with a 7.25 ERA in five September starts last year, he was not included on the roster for the NLCS or World Series. He finished 14-16 with a 6.02 ERA last season.

“Every time I stepped on the mound toward the end of last year I didn’t know what to expect out of myself. I wanted to change that going into the season,” Marquis said.

Marquis pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. And after giving up a pair of two-out singles in the seventh, he got a visit from manager Lou Piniella and then got Scott Rolen to bounce into a forceout. Marquis didn’t walk a batter and struck out five, while allowing seven hits. Reliever Will Ohman finished the shutout.

“He got in trouble like normally, you know, he always gets in trouble, and finds a lucky pitch to make to get out of trouble, you know,” Cardinals start Albert Pujols said of Marquis.

Giants 1, Diamondbacks 0

San Francisco – Barry Bonds hit his 739th career home run and Barry Zito put together his second straight scoreless outing to earn his first win at home with the San Francisco.

Zito (2-2) followed up his six scoreless innings in Colorado on Monday with 7 1-3 more against the Diamondbacks.

Mets 7, Braves 2

New York – Oliver Perez struck out nine and walked none in an impressive bounce-back performance, and Carlos Beltran had four hits for the Mets.

Jose Reyes hit a home run and stole a base for New York.

Phillies 4, Reds 1

Cincinnati – Cole Hamels had a career-high 15 strikeouts in his first complete game and the Phillies turned the first triple play in the major leagues this season.

Hamels (2-0) allowed five hits and walked two. His previous career best for strikeouts was 12, which he reached twice last season.

Marlins 9, Nationals 3

Miami – Hanley Ramirez and Jason Wood homered to help Florida snap a six-game losing streak.

Anibal Sanchez (2-0) pitched five innings for the Marlins, giving up three runs and five hits.

Brewers 6, Astros 4

Milwaukee – J.J. Hardy hit two homers and drove in three runs to help the Brewers end Houston’s five-game winning streak.

Padres 7, Rockies 3

Denver – Clay Hensley pitched through a blister for his first victory this season, and Marcus Giles had four hits, including two doubles, as San Diego beat Colorado.

Hensley, bothered by a blister on the tip of his right middle finger his past three starts, gave up two runs on 10 hits in six innings. Hensley (1-3) entered with a 12.21 ERA, but lowered it to 9.45.

Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the third and Brian Giles drove in two runs.