Nationals Keep Up Home Dominance

The best home team in the majors? The Washington Nationals.

Vinny Castilla and Brian Schneider homered at RFK Stadium and the Nationals defeated Pittsburgh, 7-5, on Thursday for a three-game sweep of the Pirates.

Washington has won 15 of its last 16 home games and is 29-10 at RFK Stadium. The Nationals won 20 games in June.

“That’s a tremendous year, or month, I’m sorry,” Manager Frank Robinson said. “After the last three years, it seems like a year.”

Chad Cordero earned his 15th save in June to tie a major league record set by Lee Smith in 1993 and matched by John Wetteland in 1996. Cordero, a former Cal State Fullerton standout, wiggled out of a second-and-third, no-outs jam in the ninth inning for his 25th consecutive save and major league-leading 28th overall. He retired Ryan Doumit on a routine fly with the bases loaded for the final out.

New York 5, Philadelphia 3 -- Pedro Martinez won for the seventh time in eight decisions, and Jose Reyes drove in two runs with his major league-leading ninth triple to lead the Mets at New York.

Martinez (9-2) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings, walked two and struck out six. He raised his strikeout total to 2,776, moving past Frank Tanana (2,773) and into 17th place on the career list.

San Francisco 9, Arizona 2 -- Lance Niekro hit a three-run homer and winning pitcher Noah Lowry (5-7) singled in two runs, helping the Giants to their first three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks at Phoenix in five years.

Florida 6, Atlanta 2 -- Josh Beckett (8-5) pitched six innings of one-hit ball in a return from the disabled list, and Miguel Cabrera and Juan Encarnacion homered to help the Marlins win at Miami.

Colorado 7, St. Louis 0 -- Rookie Jeff Francis (7-5) pitched three-hit ball for six innings, and Garrett Atkins and Danny Ardoin homered at St. Louis to lead the Rockies to only their sixth road victory.

Milwaukee 10, Chicago 6 -- Carlos Lee homered twice, including a first-inning drive off Greg Maddux, and the Brewers avoided a three-game sweep at Chicago.

Houston 2, Cincinnati 2, seven innings, rain -- Ken Griffey Jr. singled home a tying run in the fourth inning, and the second storm of the evening forced the teams to settle for a seven-inning tie at Cincinnati. The game will be replayed from the start on Saturday as part of a doubleheader.