NEW YORK, 24 May 2004 — Glendon Rusch proved more than a capable replacement for the injured Kerry Wood Saturday, tossing 7 2/3 innings of six-hit ball to help the host Chicago Cubs thump the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the National League. Rusch (2-0) also struck out nine batters, including the dangerous Jim Edmonds three times, while walking one.

A few more outings like that and Rusch may forget his woeful 2003 season with Milwaukee when he went 1-12 with a 6.42 ERA.

The Cubs struck four first-inning runs, all charged to loser Woody Williams (1-5), who is having his problems this year after going 18-9 in 2003. Derrek Lee produced the inning’s big blow, a two-run double on a high fly ball that became entangled in the outfield wall ivy.

Two innings later, Todd Hollandsworth, replacing the injured Sammy Sosa, went deep with a man aboard to make it 6-1 Chicago.

In Atlanta, the Los Angeles Dodgers piled up 13 hits to snap an eight-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over the Braves.

Jason Grabowski belted a two-run homer while Jeff Weaver (3-5) struck out nine batters while scattering six hits in seven innings.

In Miami, an eight-run third inning sent the Florida Marlins to an 11-2 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Luis Castillo’s first career grand slam, a blast to deep left, capped off the third.

Brad Penny (5-2) worked six innings, allowing a run on five hits, to earn the decision.

In Cincinnati, Houston’s Roger Clemens was bidding for his eighth win in a row but he did not figure in the final outcome as the Reds edged the Astros 8-7. Clemens lasted five innings, charged with six runs. The loss went to Brad Lidge (0-2), who served up two run-scoring doubles in the eighth. It was surging Cincinnati’s seventh victory in eight games.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, AJ Pierzynski stroked a grand slam home run in the 11th inning to lift the San Francisco Giants to a 7-2 triumph over the Montreal Expos. Pierzynski doubled earlier to plate two more runs, giving him six RBI in the game.

In New York, Ty Wigginton’s two-run, eighth-inning homer rallied the Mets past the Colorado Rockies 5-4.

David Weathers (4-1), the fourth of five New York pitchers, notched the victory while Braden Looper finished up for the save.

In Pittsburgh, Josh Fogg (2-4) tossed six innings of five-hit ball as the Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1. It was only Pittsburgh’s sixth home win of the season, the fewest of any major league club.

In Philadelphia, the San Diego Padres pushed across two runs in the sixth, seventh and nine innings to post a come-from-behind 9-6 victory over the Phillies. Justin Germano (1-0), making his major league debut, worked the minimum five innings for the win.