Chipper’s 2 Blasts Back Up Maddux

National League

Chipper Jones hit two home runs and Greg Maddux improved to 4-0 lifetime against his former Chicago teammates as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cubs 4-3 Friday in Atlanta.

Jones connected in the first and fifth innings off Steve Trachsel, hiking his home run total to 28 and his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games. Jones, who has 98 RBIs, has hit two home runs in a game three times this season.

Maddux (12-10), working at least seven innings for the ninth straight game, allowed three runs - two earned - on four hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter in improving to 10-2 at home.

Atlanta’s Marquis Grissom doubled in two runs in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 27 games.

Cardinals 1, Astros 0

Houston Ray Lankford homered in the third inning and Donovan Osborne pitched seven solid innings as St. Louis moved into first place in the N.L. Central with a shutout victory over Houston.

The Cardinals played sparkling defense in beating Houston for the seventh consecutive time this season and took a half-game lead over the Astros in the opener of their four-game series.

Pirates 5, Rockies 3

Denver

Jermaine Allensworth emerged from an 0-for-12 slump with his first career four-hit game, sparking Pittsburgh to a win over Colorado.

Jon Lieber (6-4) matched his career best with eight strikeouts in 6-2/3 innings for the Pirates, who won for the second time in nine games at Coors Field and put together their first three-game winning streak in two months.

Reds 6-3, Marlins 5-8

Miami

Al Leiter struck out 11 and Gary Sheffield hit his 36th home run to help Florida beat weary Cincinnati and gain a split of their doubleheader.

Jeff Brantley escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning of the opener and the Reds shook off a short night’s sleep to pick up a win.

Cincinnati’s 13-inning, rain-delayed 3-2 victory in Atlanta ended at 1:47 Friday morning. The Reds reached their Fort Lauderdale hotel at 5:30 a.m. and took the field against the Marlins 11 hours later.

Dodgers 7, Mets 5

Los Angeles

Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi hit consecutive two-run doubles in the fifth inning, and Todd Worrell broke his own club record with his 33rd save as Los Angeles beat New York. The win moved Los Angeles within one game of first-place San Diego in the N.L. West.

Phillies 7, Padres 4

San Diego

Todd Zeile hit his career-high 20th home run and starter Rich Hunter won his first game since April as Philadelphia beat San Diego, snapping the Padres’ four-game winning streak.

Expos 10, Giants 8

San Francisco

Henry Rodriguez hit two of Montreal’s season-high five home runs and Giants reliever Mark Dewey threw a wild pitch that allowed the go-ahead run to score as the Expos beat San Francisco.

Clearing the bases

Montreal Expos outfielder Moises Alou has withdrawn his appeal of a four-game suspension and began serving it Friday night against the San Francisco Giants. Alou was suspended for four games and fined $1,000 for his actions in a bench-clearing brawl in a game with the Houston Astros on Aug. 12 in Montreal.

The Atlanta Braves placed reliever Pedro Borbon on the 15-day disabled list because of a torn ligament in his left elbow.