The embattled New York closer blows another save.
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK – Armando Benitez blew his fourth save this season, allowing two runs in the ninth inning of the New York Mets’ 6-5 loss to the Florida Marlins on Saturday.

Luis Castillo hit a game-tying RBI single and Ivan Rodriguez beat out a potential double-play grounder to drive in the go-ahead run as the Marlins rallied for the win.

Benitez (0-3) matched his blown save total from all of last season in the first month of the year for the last-place Mets. He has blown four of nine opportunities this year after converting 33 of 37 in 2002.

After Roberto Alomar’s two-run double gave New York a 5-4 lead in the eighth, Benitez couldn’t close it.

He walked Todd Hollandsworth with one out in the inning and then allowed an infield hit to Andy Fox.

Juan Pierre then walked to load the bases for Castillo, who tied the game with a single to left field.

Rodriguez followed with a grounder to shortstop Rey Sanchez, who got the force at second but Alomar’s relay throw was too late as Fox scored the go-ahead run.

Braden Looper (2-0) got the win despite allowing Alomar’s double in the eighth.

Expos sweep Reds

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Brian Schneider homered twice in the opener, including a leadoff shot in the 10th inning that lifted the Expos to an 8-7 win in Game 1. Then Javier Vazquez (2-1) struck out 11 as Montreal rolled to a 9-0 lead and sent Cincinnati to its fifth straight loss.

After the game, the team that began the day ranked last in the NL in pitching, hitting and fielding made seven roster moves.

Losing pitcher Jimmy Anderson (1-2) and reliever Josias Manzanillo, who served up Guerrero’s three-run homer, were designated for assignment.

Infielder Brandon Larson, 0-for-5 in the opener, was sent to Triple-A Louisville with an .083 batting average.

The Reds promoted pitchers Chris Reitsma, Jeff Austin and Brian Reith, along with infielder Ryan Freel.

Diamondbacks 4,

Cardinals 3

ST. LOUIS – Byung-Hyun Kim won his first career game as a starter and Luis Gonzalez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3.

The Diamondbacks, who were swept by the Cardinals in the playoffs last fall, had lost six straight in St. Louis since winning Game 3 of the playoffs in 2001.

Cardinals starter Jason Simontacchi (0-1) struggled for the third straight start, allowing four runs in five innings, and his spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy.

Simontacchi, 11-5 as a 28-year-old rookie last year, has allowed 15 runs in 12 innings overall.

Brewers 3, Astros 2

MILWAUKEE – Pitcher Glendon Rusch blooped a bunt for a game-winning pinch-hit single in the 14th inning, sending the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros.

Rusch, who got the loss as a starter on Friday night, came through in surprising fashion as the Brewers ran out of hitters on the bench.

With the bases loaded and one out in the 14th, Rusch was called on to pinch hit for reliever John Foster.

A career .138 hitter, Rusch bunted on an 0-1 pitch from Scott Linebrink (0-1).

The ball looped over the head of second baseman Jeff Kent and landed for a game-winning single.

Rockies 10, Padres 9

DENVER – Ronnie Belliard drove in the winning run with a squeeze bunt that capped a three-run, ninth-inning rally as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 10-9 after wasting a seven-run lead.

Ryan Klesko homered twice and had five RBIs for San Diego, which overcame a 7-0 deficit to take a 9-7 lead only to lose its fourth straight.

Trailing by two runs, the Rockies rallied off Brandon Villafuerte (0-2), who relieved Jesse Orosco to start the ninth inning and blew a save for the first time in three chances.

Phillies 4, Braves 0

ATLANTA – Vicente Padilla pitched a four-hitter and Mike Hampton struggled in his Atlanta debut as the Philadelphia Phillies stopped the Braves’ five-game winning streak with a 4-0 victory.

Padilla (3-1) picked up his second career shutout, facing only three hitters above the minimum. He allowed four singles, with one of the runners erased on a double play.

Cubs 6, Pirates 1

PITTSBURGH – Mark Grudzielanek singled home the go-ahead run in a five-run 10th inning and the Chicago Cubs won their fifth straight, beating the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 behind Mark Prior’s latest strong start.

The Cubs matched their longest winning streak of last season and improved to 12-6, four short of the club record for April wins, set in 1969.

American League

White Sox 12, Indians 3

CHICAGO – Rookie Josh Stewart got his first major league win and D’Angelo Jimenez had four hits as the Chicago White Sox scored six unearned runs in the first and beat the Cleveland Indians 12-3.

Jimenez had two hits in the opening inning and drove in three runs. Magglio Ordonez homered in the fourth and extended his hitting streak to 15 games, longest in the AL this season.

Athletics 12, Rangers 2

OAKLAND, Calif. – Mark Mulder pitched seven strong innings and Miguel Tejada and Scott Hatteberg homered as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 12-2.

Mulder (2-1) was challenged in several innings. He allowed baserunners to reach second in the first, second and fifth innings, but was able to get out of each jam unscathed.

The lefty, who’s won 40 games the past two seasons, gave up two runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two.

Rafael Palmeiro and Carl Everett each homered for Texas, which lost its fourth straight road game.

Royals 9, Tigers 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Desi Relaford homered and Raul Ibanez had a two-run single in a five-run third inning as the Kansas City Royals beat Detroit 9-2 to hand the Tigers their 15th loss in 16 games this season.

Angel Berroa had three hits and scored two runs for the Royals, who improved to 7-0 at Kauffman Stadium this season and are the last remaining undefeated team at home in the majors. Their 13-3 start is the best in club history after 16 games.

The Tigers are 0-4 against Kansas City this season and are off to the worst start in franchise history and the worst in baseball since the Royals went 1-16 in 1992.

Devil Rays 8, Orioles 7

BALTIMORE – Jorge Sosa allowed three hits in five innings to become the first Tampa Bay starting pitcher to win a game this season as the Devil Rays hung on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7.

Tampa Bay starters hadn’t recorded a victory in the first 16 games. That’s the deepest into the season since the 1992 Kansas City Royals, who got their first win from a starting pitcher in their 18th game.

The Devil Rays almost blew it, allowing four runs in the ninth inning before holding on for the win.

Yankees 4, Twins 2

MINNEAPOLIS – Bernie Williams hit a two-run homer and Raul Mondesi hit a solo shot as the New York Yankees showed off more power in a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Andy Pettitte (3-0) pitched 7 1-3 innings to run the rotation’s record to 12-0 – the longest season-opening streak in the last 50 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. New York is off to a franchise-best 14-3 start.

The Yankees also beat the Twins for the 11th straight time over the past two seasons.

, outhomering Minnesota 25-2 in that span.