CINCINNATI — Joey Votto hit a pair of two-run home runs and right-hander Jason Marquis pitched six solid innings in his Cincinnati debut, lifting the Reds over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 in the opener of a three-game weekend series at Great American Ball Park. Right-hander J.J. Hoover (2-0) picked up the victory for Cincinnati, which improved to 4-0. Flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts for his second save. Center fielder Randal Grichuk, making his first start of the season for St. Louis, hit a two-run homer off Marquis, who overcame early wildness to last six innings, allowing three runs and five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. John Lackey started for St. Louis (1-2) and the right hander gave up four earned runs and four hits in six innings. Braves 5, Mets 3: Phil Gosselin lined a bases-loaded, two-out single into center field in the eighth inning to give Atlanta a home-opening win. The Braves have won its first four games of the season for the first time since 1994 when they started 7-0. Phillies 4, Nationals 1: Shortstop Freddy Galvis went three-for-three and pinch-hitter Cesar Hernandez keyed Philadelphia's four-run seventh inning with a two-run single. Washington center fielder Michael Taylor led off the game with a homer, accounting for the Nationals' run. Pirates 6, Brewers 2: Pedro Alvarez and Starling Marte hit solo home runs and Neil Walker had three hits including a pair of doubles as Pittsburgh snapped a season-opening three-game losing streak with a victory over Milwaukee at Miller Park. First baseman Alvarez had two hits, including an RBI single, as did catcher Francisco Cervelli for the Pirates, who had dropped back-to-back games on walk-off hits at Cincinnati before coming to Milwaukee. Rockies 5, Cubs 1: Colorado won its home opener over the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field, tying a franchise record with its fourth straight victory to begin a season. Other results: Arizona 4, LA Dodgers 3; San Diego 1, San Francisco 0. American League Twins 6, White Sox 0: Minnesota's Tommy Milone threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings to spoil the home opener of the Chicago White Sox. Milone allowed two hits and two walks, struck out seven and retired 16 straight hitters after a bunt single by Chicago second baseman Micah Johnson started the second inning. Blue Jays 12, Orioles 5: Toronto banged out eight doubles in a 16-hit attack that helped starter Mark Buehrle earn his 200th victory in a rout of Baltimore. Toronto (3-1) had just a .218 average through its first three games but scored 10 runs on 10 hits in the first four innings, spoiling the Orioles' home opener. That made life easier for Buehrle (1-0), who reached his milestone by giving up two runs on eight hits in six innings. Astros 5, Rangers 1: Houston starting pitcher Collin McHugh picked right up from his impressive rookie season, turning in a five-hit gem to spoil Texas' home opener at Globe Life Park. McHugh won his eighth consecutive game dating back to last August by keeping a Rangers offense coming off a 10-run explosion a day earlier in Oakland completely off-kilter through the six innings he worked. Tigers 8, Indians 4: Detroit exploded for 18 hits in rolling to a victory over Cleveland before a sellout crowd in the Indians' home opener at Progressive Field. Other results: Boston 6, NY Yankees 5; Kansas City 4, LA Angeles 2; Oakland 12, Seattle 0. Inter-League Marlins 10, Rays 9 (10 innings): Miami snapped out of a scoring slump, earning their first win of the season with a 10-9 win in 10 innings over Tampa Bay at Marlins Park. — Agencies
