Associated Press
The National League roundup …
HOUSTON ó Lance Berkman homered and drove in four runs in a nine-run sixth inning, then added a solo shot in the ninth against his former team in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 11-7 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.
Berkman’s three-run shot off Fernando Abad (1-2) gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead.
Berkman finished with four hits and had eight hits and seven RBIs in his first series against his former team. It was his third multi-home run game of the season and the 28th of his career.
Matt Holliday drove in three runs during the sixth, and Kyle McClellan and David Freese each drove in a run as four Houston pitchers faced 14 batters before finally escaping the sixth.
McClellan (4-0) allowed eight hits and five runs for the victory.
Giants 5, Pirates 2
PITTSBURGH ó Ryan Vogelsong won while making his first start in almost seven years, pitching effectively into the sixth inning against his former team in the San Francisco Giants’ 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
Making just his third appearance in the majors since 2006, the 33-year-old Vogelsong (1-0) tied a career high with eight strikeouts. He gave up two runs on four hits and two walks.
Vogelsong was making his first start since Sept. 29, 2004, while he was with the Pirates against Philadelphia, and won for the first time since Sept. 14, 2005. He spent three seasons in Japan after last appearing in a game for the Pirates in June 2006.
Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his seventh save. San Francisco had lost five of its previous six.
Nationals 4, Mets 3
WASHINGTON ó New father Ian Desmond homered and tripled in his first game back from paternity leave and Livan Hernandez pitched eight strong innings to lead Washington past New York.
Desmond’s solo home run in the fifth gave Washington a 4-2 lead. He missed the Nationals’ previous two games after his wife, Chelsey, gave birth Tuesday to the couple’s first son.
The loss ended New York’s six-game winning streak, the team’s longest run since winning eight straight last June.