WASHINGTON: Adam LaRoche broke out of a slump with a pair of home runs and Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth also went deep as hosts Washington survived a late push from Chicago to score an 8-7 victory Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.

Paul Konerko hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs for the White Sox, who had a two-game win streak snapped. Washington led 8-5 in the ninth where Rafael Soriano gave up a two-run blast to Alex Rios but still earned his third save.

Padres 9 Dodgers 3: Will Venable homered and drove in four runs as San Diego pulled away late in their home opener at remodeled Petco Park.

With the score tied 3-3 in the seventh, Mark Kotsay doubled in the go-ahead run off Ronald Belisario before the Padres drew clear with five runs in the eighth. Venable highlighted the rally with a bases-loaded triple off J.P. Howell.

Phillies 8 Mets 3: Michael Young drove in three runs while falling a double short of the cycle and John Mayberry Jr. also had three RBIs for host Philadelphia.

Ryan Howard, Young and Mayberry hit their first home runs of the season in a five-pitch span of the third inning to give the Phillies a 7-0 lead. Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee (2-0) allowed two earned runs, eight hits and struck out six while not walking a batter in 8 2/3 innings.

Braves 3 Marlins 2: Rookie Evan Gattis hit a two-run homer, and Kris Medlen pitched seven strong innings as visiting Atlanta improved their major-league best record to 7-1.

Atlanta have won five in a row and are 7-1 for the fourth time since 1994. Gattis staked the Braves to a 2-0 first-inning lead.

Medlen (1-1) allowed just three hits and one unearned run. The Marlins pulled within 3-2 in the eighth on Placido Polanco’s single but got no closer.

Cardinals 5, Reds 1: Matt Adams hit a pinch-hit two-run home run in the sixth and hosts St. Louis rebounded to even the three-game series.

Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn (1-0) struck out 10 while allowing one run over six innings. Adams pinch hit for Lynn with one out in the sixth with Daniel Descalso on third base and lifted a home run deep to right field off Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo for a 2-1 lead.

Cubs 6 Brewers 3: David DeJesus snapped out of a slump with three hits, including a two-run single in the eighth inning, as hosts Chicago rallied to snap a four-game skid.

The Cubs made two errors in Milwaukee’s three-run second inning, but starter Travis Wood settled in and lasted into the seventh, and Chicago’s maligned bullpen took care of the rest.

Giants 9 Rockies 6: Brandon Crawford belted a three-run homer and San Francisco rallied from an early four-run deficit to beat visiting Colorado.

The Giants, who trailed 5-1 before scoring once in the second inning, tied the game at six when Crawford’s blast highlighted a four-run sixth inning. San Francisco completed the comeback with three runs on five hits in the eighth.

Pirates 6 Diamondbacks 5: Starling Marte, Neil Walker and Garrett Jones drove in two runs apiece as visiting Pittsburgh beat Arizona for the second straight game.

Jones had three hits, Marte tallied two hits and scored twice while Travis Snider contributed two hits for the Pirates, who took the lead with a five-run fourth inning off Arizona starter Brandon McCarthy (0-1).