ATLANTA – Curt Schilling pitched one-hit ball for eight innings and struck out 12 in a classic duel with Greg Maddux, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Atlanta Braves 2-0 Sunday.

Alex Cintron broke up a scoreless game with a home run in the seventh off Maddux. Cintron scored an insurance run in the ninth, when he doubled against Kent Mercker and came home on an RBI single by Rod Barajas.

Schilling (7-6) won the power-vs.-finesse matchup with a dominating performance against the NL’s best-hitting team. Marcus Giles had the only hit off Schilling, a double in the first that nearly cleared the wall.

Matt Mantei allowed a single to Gary Sheffield in the ninth but struck out the side to finish the two-hitter for his 18th save in 20 chances.

In a telling display of Schilling’s sharp stuff, the Braves went down swinging 10 times.

Mets 6, Rockies 4

NEW YORK – Cliff Floyd had four more hits since announcing his season will end on Monday, and Al Leiter pitched six strong innings as the New York Mets defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-4 Sunday for their season-high fifth straight win.

Floyd went 4-for-4 and is 10-for-11 in three games since deciding to have season-ending surgery on his aching Achilles’ tendon at the end of the month.

Leiter allowed only four hits and one run while striking out 10, the most by a Mets pitcher this season.

Dodgers 3, Cubs 0

CHICAGO – Hideo Nomo scattered four hits over seven innings and Eric Gagne saved his 41st straight game this season as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-0 Sunday.

Gagne’s 41 consecutive saves is the longest streak to start a season in major league history. He has saved 49 in a row dating back to last Aug. 28, the second-longest streak in big league history to Tom Gordon, who converted 54 saves in a row for Boston.

Gagne also extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings, the longest by a Dodgers pitcher this season.

Nomo (14-9) struck out three and walked four. He is 5-1 over his last seven starts, the only loss coming Aug. 1 at Atlanta.

Reds 4, Astros 3

CINCINNATI – Dernell Stenson hit a solo homer that reached the seats without dispute, and Juan Castro had a three-run shot Sunday that powered the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

Jeff Bagwell hit a solo homer and Jeff Kent extended his hitting streak to 12 games as the Astros finished a costly trip, going 2-5.

Expos 4, Giants 2

MONTREAL – Brad Wilkerson hit his second grand slam of the season with two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Montreal Expos a 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Wilkerson drove closer Tim Worrell’s 3-2 pitch over the center-field wall for Montreal’s sixth game-ending homer of the season and spoiling Sidney Ponson’s best start for the Giants.

Ponson (0-3) breezed through the first eighth innings in his third start for San Francisco and came within two outs of his first NL win, complete game, and shutout.

Pirates 5, Brewers 2

PITTSBURGH – Reggie Sanders and Tike Redman each hit a two-run homer, and Josh Fogg rebounded from the worst start of his career as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 Sunday.

Jack Wilson also homered for the Pirates, who took two of three in handing the Brewers their fifth consecutive series loss.

Sanders broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning with his 27th homer.

Marlins 11, Padres 7

MIAMI – Josh Beckett allowed two runs in a career-best eight innings, and Derrek Lee homered as the Florida Marlins defeated the San Diego Padres 11-7 Sunday.

Ivan Rodriguez and Luis Castillo had two RBIs apiece for the Marlins, who entered the day a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NL wild card race.

Beckett (6-6) allowed five hits, two walks and struck out eight – sending San Diego to its fifth straight loss. He also had two of Florida’s 15 hits, including a double.

Phillies 6, Cardinals 4

PHILADELPHIA – Amaury Telemaco won for the first time in over two years, retiring the final 14 batters he faced as the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 6-4 victory Sunday.

Jim Thome and Pat Burrell each hit a two-run homer in the third inning for the Phillies, who have won five straight and lead Florida by a half-game in the NL wild-card race.

Albert Pujols, owner of a 30-game hitting streak, sat out with flu-like symptoms.

for the Cardinals, who have lost four of their last five.

The sweep was Philadelphia’s first over the Cardinals at Veterans Stadium since 1993.

Telemaco (1-0) pitched seven innings for his first win since June 6, 2001. The game was his first in the majors since a relief appearance on July 16, 2001.

Thome broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run shot to the upper deck in right off Brett Tomko (9-8). It was Thome’s 33rd homer of the season and his fifth in the last six games.

Two batters later, Burrell hit a towering homer to left-center – his 17th of the year.

Telemaco, called up Sunday to replace Brandon Duckworth in the Phillies’ starting rotation, allowed two runs on four hits, striking out seven. He didn’t issue a walk.

Jim Edmonds was the last hitter to reach against Telemaco when he singled in the third inning. After Telemaco left, Terry Adams retired the first batter of the eighth, then hit Bo Hart with a pitch, prompting a warning from plate umpire Mark Carlson.

In the ninth, Turk Wendell allowed Tino Martinez’s one-out homer – St. Louis’ first hit since Edmonds’ single. Wendell then hit Edgar Renteria with a pitch, but wasn’t ejected.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa argued at length before being thrown out by third-base umpire Gerry Davis. At one point, La Russa tore up a piece of paper and tossed it in the air.

Following La Russa’s ejection, the Phillies brought in Jose Mesa, who allowed Miguel Cairo’s RBI single and a two-out walk to Mike Matheny.

Mike Williams then came on and struck out pinch-hitter Kerry Robinson for his 27th save in 32 chances. It was Williams’ second save since being traded from Pittsburgh on July 20th.

Orlando Palmeiro gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead in the first with his second homer of the season.

Philadelphia answered with two runs in its first at-bat. Marlon Byrd scored on a passed ball and Chase Utley delivered a RBI single.

St. Louis tied the game at 2 on Cairo’s RBI groundout in the second.

Tomko pitched three innings, giving up six runs on six hits. He walked three and didn’t have a strikeout.

Notes: Thome’s homer was the 23rd shot to reach the upper deck in right field at Veterans Stadium. … The Phillies’ last Sunday night home game was Sept. 1, 1996. Williams started that game for Philadelphia. … The Cardinals are 15-15 since the All-Star break. … The Cardinals finished 119-130 all-time at Veterans Stadium. … Pujols is expected back in the Cardinals’ lineup on Tuesday, when the team hosts Pittsburgh. … St. Louis was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position for the game and 4-for-28 for the series.

AP-ES-08-17-03 2311EDT