Braves reign again in NL East

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves clinched their 10th straight division championship with a 10-spot.

Chipper Jones hit a grand slam and the Braves took advantage of Ryan Dempster's wildness to score 10 runs in the first inning, winning another NL East title with a 20-3 rout of the Florida Marlins on Friday night.

Atlanta became the first pro sports team to win 10 division titles in row. The Boston Celtics (1957-65) and Los Angeles Lakers (1982-90) captured nine straight in the NBA.

The Braves, who trailed Philadelphia by eight games early in the season and struggled to put the Phillies away down the stretch, finally clinched with their highest scoring game in more than two years.

In an appropriate touch, it came exactly 10 years after John Smoltz beat the Houston Astros in the final game of the 1991 season to get the streak started.

After No. 10, the Braves should send a bottle of champagne to Dempster, who had the shortest start of his career. The Florida right-hander walked six and threw only 14 strikes in 45 pitches before he was replaced after retiring just two batters.

After falling behind 3-0, the Braves didn't do much more than stand at the plate with bats on their shoulders. Dempster set the tone by walking the first three hitters. Brian Jordan struck out and B.J. Surhoff had a sacrifice fly, giving Florida a chance to escape the inning with minimal damage.

Dempster couldn't take advantage. He walked free swinger Andruw Jones on four pitches and gave up a two-run single to Rey Sanchez. Paul Bako walked to reload the bases, then pitcher Kevin Millwood walked on four straight pitches to force in a run and give the Braves a 4-3 lead.

Things didn't get any better with Benito Baez, however. Marcus Giles, batting for the second time, drew another bases-loaded walk. Julio Franco singled to center, making it 6-3.

Chipper Jones, who walked in his first at-bat, worked the count full before hitting a change-up into the left-field seats for a 419-foot homer -- his second grand slam of the season and sixth of his career.

All those runs made things easy for Millwood (7-7).

DIAMONDBACKS 5, BREWERS 0

MILWAUKEE -- Albie Lopez pitched a three-hitter, giving the Arizona Diamondbacks at least a share of the NL West title Friday night with a 5-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tony Womack and Steve Finley homered for Arizona, which would win its second NL title in four years as a franchise with one more win or a San Francisco loss. The Giants played the Los Angeles Dodgers later Friday.

Lopez (4-7) did not allow a hit through five innings and struck out eight for his first victory in six starts since shutting out Pittsburgh, 6-0 on Aug. 8. Earlier this season, Lopez lost 10 straight decisions with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The win prevented Lopez from losing 20 games this season. He was 5-12 with Tampa Bay before being traded to Arizona on July 25.

EXPOS 8, METS 6

NEW YORK -- Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run triple in a five-run fourth inning as the Montreal Expos beat the New York Mets 8-6 Friday night.

Montreal built an 8-0 lead behind starter Mark Thurman but Alex Escobar homered twice and drove in four runs as the Mets rallied for a run in the seventh and five in the eighth.

Thurman allowed four runs and 10 hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out two and didn't walk a batter. Scott Strickland pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

PIRATES 3, CUBS 2

CHICAGO -- Kevin Young hit a go-ahead, sixth-inning homer and Pittsburgh beat Chicago despite Sammy Sosa's 62nd homer.

Young's 14th homer was a solo shot off Jason Bere (11-11) and broke a 2-2 tie as the Pirates avoided their 100th loss. With only two games remaining, the setback denies the 87-73 Cubs a chance at a 90-win season.

-- From wire reports