Astacio follows Estes with strong pitching for Mets

NEW YORK -- Pedro Astacio didn't allow a hit until Geoff Jenkins lined a single to left field with one out in the seventh inning Saturday, and the New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1.

Less than 24 hours after teammate Shawn Estes retired the first 18 Brewers and finished with a one-hitter, Astacio almost pitched the first no-hitter in Mets' history.

Astacio (4-1) allowed one run and three hits in eight innings. He walked one and struck out two. Armando Benitez pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

The Mets gave Astacio a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Roberto Alomar led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Jeromy Burnitz against Nick Neugebauer (1-3).

Astros 6, Braves 3

ATLANTA -- Gregg Zaun, usually a terrible hitter against Atlanta, drove in four runs with a double and a triple to lead Houston.

Zaun, 2-for-27 (.074) against the Braves coming in, broke a 2-all tie in the fifth with a two-out, three-run double off Kevin Millwood (2-3) and added an RBI triple in the ninth off Darren Holmes.

Atlanta outfielder B.J. Surhoff injured his right leg when he slid into the wall in the right-field corner chasing down the triple. Surhoff, who appeared to jam the leg, was on the ground on the warning track but threw to second baseman Marcus Giles, who relayed the ball home in time to retire Zaun at the plate.

The game was delayed about three minutes while Surhoff was helped off the field by Braves' trainers. There was no immediate word on his condition.

Reds 8, Giants 4, 7 1/2 innings

CINCINNATI -- Jose Rijo made his first Cinergy Field start in seven years and put on another nostalgic show, pitching six remarkable innings in a steady rain as the Cincinnati Reds beat the San Francisco Giants in a game called in the middle of the eighth.

The Reds' seventh straight win kept them in first place in the NL Central, a major surprise that pales alongside Rijo's renaissance.

Rockies 8, Phillies 6

DENVER -- Todd Helton hit a bases-loaded triple and the Colorado Rockies improved to 2-0 under new manager Clint Hurdle, beating the Philadelphia Phillies.

Colorado had lost five straight before manager Buddy Bell was fired Friday.

Philadelphia has lost four straight and eight of nine. The Phillies dropped to 0-13 when trailing after seven innings.

-- From wire reports