MIAMI (AP) – Mike Lowell drove in two runs in his return from a tumor scare and Josh Beckett pitched seven scoreless innings as the Florida Marlins beat the Montreal Expos 4-1 Monday night.

Lowell, who had surgery in 1999 for testicular cancer, felt soreness in his groin the last three weeks and doctors told him Friday that a golf ball-sized mass above his left femur might be a tumor.

But the following day, specialists in Gainesville, Fla., determined it was not a tumor or cancerous, and instead was fibrous dysplasia, a benign condition of the bone.

In his first at bat, Lowell singled home Juan Pierre. Lowell drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and also doubled in the eighth.

Beckett (4-4) scattered seven singles. He struck out seven and walked one.

Pirates 5, Astros 3

PITTSBURGH – Matt Stairs homered and drove in two runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates jumped on Houston starter Tim Redding for five runs in the first three innings and a 5-3 victory Monday night.

The Pirates, the only team to beat the Astros in their last 15 games, ended Houston’s five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has won four straight at home against the Astros since July 4.

The Astros had won 10 of 11, matching Atlanta for the NL’s best pace over that span, but are 1-5 against the Pirates over those 15 games. The last team to beat Houston other than Pittsburgh was Milwaukee on July 2.

Josh Fogg (6-4) withstood consecutive homers by Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent in the sixth to win for the fourth time in his last five decisions, despite lasting just 5 1-3 innings.

Reds 11, Brewers 2

CINCINNATI – Jose Acevedo pitched seven shutout innings as a fill-in starter and Russell Branyan had a pinch-hit grand slam on Monday as the Cincinnati Reds pulled away to an 11-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Reds ended a seven-game losing streak at home by beating the one team they’ve handled easily. They’ve won their last five against Milwaukee, going 7-3 this season against the Brewers.

Jose Guillen also homered and drove in three runs as the Reds got the better of a matchup of the NL Central’s bottom two teams.

Acevedo (1-0) was given the start as the Reds shifted their rotation back to a standard five-man set. The right-hander pitched an inning in relief last Saturday after his promotion from the minors.

He held the Brewers to two hits – a pair of doubles – and struck out six on a muggy night, throwing 102 pitches. It was one of the best performances all season by the NL’s least-productive rotation, and equaled the longest outing of his career.

Mets 8, Phillies 6

PHILADELPHIA – Aaron Heilman earned his first major league victory and John Franco picked up his first save since 2001 as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-6 Monday night.

Cliff Floyd, Jason Phillips and Joe McEwing homered as the Mets stopped a four-game losing streak.

Jim Thome hit his 25th homer and Bobby Abreu drove in four runs for the NL wild card-leading Phillies.

who had won eight of 10.