hitter into the seventh inning in his first start since signing a rich contract and the New York Mets completed a season-opening sweep of the Atlanta Braves with a 7-5 victory Sunday. Niese (1-0) allowed just two balls out of the infield through six innings and retired 15 in a row before walking Dan Uggla on a 10-pitch at-bat leading off the seventh. On the next pitch, Niese's 99th of the game, Freddie Freeman singled cleanly to right. New York has played 7,971 games in its 51-season history and is the oldest team in the majors without a no-hitter, startling for a club that produced stellar pitchers such as Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Dwight Gooden. San Diego (6,846) is the only other big league team without one. Diamondbacks 7, Giants 6: Ryan Roberts and Lyle Overbay hit consecutive two-out homers off Matt Cain and the Arizona Diamondbacks tied a franchise record by rallying from six runs down to beat the San Francisco Giants and sweep the season-opening three-game series. Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for arguing home plate umpire Mike DiMuro's call that catcher Buster Posey missed the plate on a forceout, a ruling that allowed what proved to be the winning run to score in the seventh inning. Posey hit his first home run in nearly a year to help the Giants take a 6-0 lead through three innings. Wade Miley (1-0) pitched four scoreless innings in relief of starter Josh Collmenter to get the win. Jeremy Affeldt (0-1) allowed two runs while getting just one out. Padres 8, Dodgers 4: Clayton Richard and two relievers combined on a four-hitter, Chase Headley hit a grand slam and Andy Parrino had his first big league homer for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to avoid a four-game sweep. Headley's second career slam, off Scott Elbert in the eighth, ended his 0-for-12 slump to start the season. Headley also walked three times. Pirates 5, Phillies 4: Andrew McCutchen singled home pinch-runner Josh Harrison with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a win over the Philadelphia Phillies. McCutchen finished with three hits, none bigger than his smash off the center-field wall against reliever David Herndon (0-1), allowing Harrison to waltz home from third. Chicago 4, Nationals 3: The Washington Nationals were rallying again and Ian Desmond figured this one would go their way, too. Instead, they came up short. Jeff Samardzija dominated into the ninth, outpitching Jordan Zimmermann, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Nationals for their first win of the Theo Epstein era. Houston 3, Colorado 2: A no-decision never felt better to Juan Nicasio. Making his first start since a terrifying neck injury last August, Nicasio allowed one run on five hits in seven innings in Colorado's loss to Houston. “I wasn't nervous, I was feeling good,” Nicasio said. “Thank you God, because I wanted to have the opportunity to get to the mound, I want to go to compete. Just get it out of the way. It's time.” In other games it was: St. Louis Cardinals 9, Milwaukee Brewers 3; Cincinnati Reds 6, Miami Marlins 5.
