MIAMI (AP) -Count on Dontrelle Willis for an unorthodox delivery.
Awaiting the imminent birth of his first child, Willis went about his business Monday, pitching 6 2-3 innings and hitting a standup triple to help the Florida Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 8-7. Willis (4-1) became the NL’s first four-game winner.
Sitting at his locker 3 1/2 hours before the game, Willis said his wife, Natalee, was expected to deliver a daughter Monday night. The expectant father with the big windup wasn’t at his best, giving up eight hits and five runs. But he won his fourth consecutive start against Atlanta and improved to 13-2 in April.
Batterymate Miguel Olivo hit a three-run homer, and Dan Uggla homered and drove in three runs.
Marlins rookie Henry Owens allowed a solo homer to Chipper Jones and consecutive doubles to Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur with two outs in the ninth before Renyel Pinto struck out Brian McCann for his first save.
Kyle Davies (0-1) threw 90 pitches in four-plus innings, walked six and gave up five runs.
Mets 6, Rockies 1
NEW YORK (AP) – Carlos Delgado hit his first home run of the season and John Maine pitched into the eighth inning, leading the New York Mets over the punchless Colorado Rockies.
Jose Valentin had a three-run homer and four RBIs, while Moises Alou went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs to help the Mets rebound after losing two of three to division rival Atlanta at home last weekend.
Matt Holliday had his third consecutive three-hit game for Colorado, has lost 14 of 15 at Shea Stadium from 2003 on. The Rockies have not homered in six straight games, matching a franchise record that was accomplished twice in 2002.
After taking a no-hit bid into the seventh inning during his previous start Wednesday night at Florida, Maine (3-0) allowed seven hits in 7 2-3 innings.
Valentin connected in the second inning off Taylor Buchholz (1-1), making his first start of the year.
Phillies 11, Astros 4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer and fell a double shy of the cycle, and the Phillies had a season-high 20 hits.
Rollins homered, tripled, singled and drove in two runs in his first three at-bats and led the Phillies to their first three-game winning streak following a 4-11 start.
Chase Utley also homered, and Adam Eaton (2-1) gave up four runs and six hits in the first three innings, then didn’t allow another run in the next three innings.
Craig Biggio also hit a leadoff homer, the first time this season leadoff batters went deep in the same game. Lance Berkman also homered for the Astros as every player on both teams wore jersey No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson.
Houston’s Chris Sampson (2-1) gave up seven runs and 14 hits in four-plus innings.
Brewers 5, Cubs 4, 12 innings
CHICAGO (AP) – Prince Fielder homered twice, including a 12th-inning drive that capped a comeback from a four-run deficit and led the Milwaukee Brewers over the Chicago Cubs.
Fielder’s fourth homer of the season came with one out off Rocky Cherry (0-1), who entered to start the inning in his major league debut. Fielder has four multihomer games, including three against the Cubs, all at Wrigley Field.
The last-place Cubs (7-12), who got another uneven outing from Carlos Zambrano, led 4-2 before Fielder homered off Scott Eyre leading off the eighth. Milwaukee tied it when Damian Miller walked with one out, and Geoff Jenkins and Craig Counsell singled.
Carlos Villanueva (1-0) pitched four scoreless innings, and Derrick Turnbow pitched the 12th for his first save.
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