Sheets fires Braves to win

ATLANTA — Ben Sheets pitched six scoreless innings in his first game in two years and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 6-1 Sunday for their season-high seventh straight victory.

Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer in a six-run fifth inning and Sheets (1-0) allowed two hits and one walk with five strikeouts in his first start since July 19, 2010.

The Mets have lost four straight and seven of 10. Atlanta improved to a season-high 10 games over .500.

Johan Santana (6-6) gave up eight hits, six runs, two walks and struck out three in five innings.

The Braves had placed just two runners in scoring position before Matt Diaz, who began the game hitting .514 in 35 career at-bats against Santana, doubled to lead off the fifth.

Nationals 4, Marlins 0: Stephen Strasburg pitched six scoreless innings and drove in a run for the Washington Nationals in a 4-0 win over the Miami Marlins.

Strasburg (10-4) allowed six hits and struck out seven.

Brewers 4, Pirates 1: Yovani Gallardo struck out a career-high 14 in seven innings and the Milwaukee Brewers used a four-run sixth to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Gallardo (8-6) gave up four hits, including Andrew McCutchen’s homer in the fourth.

Cubs 3, Diamondbacks 1: Darwin Barney homered and Matt Garza threw seven shutout innings to lift the Chicago Cubs to a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Barney clubbed a Trevor Cahill pith into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer in the second inning to help Chicago match a season high with its fourth straight win.

Phillies 5, Rockies 1: Cole Hamels pitched eight innings of one-run ball, Hunter Pence hit a three-run home run and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies for their first series victory in nearly a month.

Hamels (11-4), making his 100th career road start, scattered six hits and had seven strikeouts in his first win in three career outings at Coors Field.

Giants 3, Astros 2: Buster Posey had three hits and two RBIs to back Matt Cain, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Houston Astros to complete a three-game sweep.

Padres 7, Dodgers 2: Chase Headley homered for the second straight game, and the San Diego Padres used six unearned runs to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Reds 4, Cardinals 2: Scott Rolen hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, sending the Cincinnati Reds to victory and three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. — Agencies