In the opening game of the series, a violent home-plate collision left Braves catcher Johnny Estrada with a mild concussion. He was kept in the hospital overnight and didn't even come to the ballpark yesterday.

While there was debate over whether Darin Erstad should have delivered a shoulder-first blow to Estrada's mask — jarring the ball loose and scoring the go-ahead run — it was clear where Ramirez and the Braves stood.

When Erstad came to bat in the first — accompanied by loud boos from the Turner Field crowd — Ramirez (4-4) threw his first pitch behind the hitter's back.

"The ball was a little too slippery," Ramirez said, trying to keep a straight face. "It was a two-seamer I was trying to get in on him. Last night, we pitched him away. I was trying to come in on him."

Umpire Lance Barksdale quickly stepped out from behind the plate, warning both dugouts. Ramirez and Erstad simply glared at each other.

While Ramirez wouldn't own up to throwing at Erstad, the rest of the Braves appreciated the gesture.

"It's a statement," said Adam LaRoche, who drove in Atlanta's first run. "Anytime you stand up for your teammates like that, you're going to get a lot of respect."

There were no further problems, though Angels pitcher Paul Byrd (5-5) did plunk Andruw Jones in the left arm in the fourth.

There was a brief discussion between Barksdale and Byrd, but it seemed clear the former Braves pitcher wasn't trying to hit Jones since it came on a breaking pitch.

Ramirez allowed only five hits, struck out three and walked two. Chris Reitsma pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.

Erstad expected the Braves to come at him with some sort of retaliation.

"That's part of the game," he said. "They were sticking up for their teammates. That's what people do."

Cardinals 9, Red Sox 2

ST. LOUIS — Jim Edmonds and Reggie Sanders homered off previously unbeaten Matt Clement (6-1) as St. Louis beat Boston. The Cardinals have won the first two games of the three-game interleague series by a combined score of 16-3, four more runs than they mustered last fall in a World Series they never led.

Brewers 2, Yankees 1

MILWAUKEE — Ben Sheets won for the first time since opening day and Milwaukee sent New York to its ninth loss in 10 games. Sheets (2-5) allowed just two singles while walking five and striking out five in seven innings.

Tigers 8, Dodgers 4

LOS ANGELES — Tony Giarratano hit his first major league homer, and Dmitri Young and Ivan Rodriguez also hit solo shots to lead Detroit over Los Angeles. Giarratano, a 22-year-old rookie, had replaced the injured Carlos Guillen at shortstop in the fifth inning. The major league's third-leading hitter, Guillen left after straining his left hamstring as he ran between third and home. Guillen is day to day.

Indians 2, Padres 0

SAN DIEGO — Khalil Greene's two-out throwing error allowed Cleveland to score the go-ahead run in the 11th inning to beat San Diego. The Padres have been shut out in back-to-back games, extending their scoreless streak to 22 innings. They lost 4-0 to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Reds 9, Devil Rays 7

CINCINNATI — Relief pitcher Randy Keisler homered and doubled, leading Cincinnati's comeback from a five-run deficit. Keisler (2-0) took over in the second inning for Ramon Ortiz, who got only five outs while falling behind 6-1. The left-hander struck out a career-high eight in 6¡ innings — the longest outing by a Reds reliever in 15 years.

Phillies 8, Rangers 5

PHILADELPHIA — Placido Polanco drove in three runs, Bobby Abreu homered and Jon Lieber (8-4) won his third straight start. Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

Mariners 4, Marlins 3

MIAMI — A throwing error by Florida reliever Jim Mecir fueled Seattle's two-run eighth inning and enabled the Mariners to win for the seventh time in nine games.

Nationals 2, A's 1

WASHINGTON — Nick Johnson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to lead the first-place Nationals to their eighth win in nine games.

Pirates 6, Orioles 5

PITTSBURGH — Jack Wilson's go-ahead solo homer followed Daryle Ward's tying three-run shot in the eighth as Pittsburgh beat Baltimore.

Blue Jays 6, Cubs 4

CHICAGO — Aaron Hill drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the eighth inning, and Greg Zaun added an RBI single as Toronto beat Chicago.

White Sox 2, Rockies 1

DENVER — Jose Contreras pitched six solid innings, and Jermaine Dye and A.J. Pierzynski each had an RBI single to lead the White Sox. Contreras (3-2) allowed five hits, struck out six and walked two.

Twins 9, D'Backs 8

PHEONIX — Torii Hunter homered twice among his four hits and scored four runs to lead Minnesota over Arizona. Hunter singled in the ninth and scored the go-ahead run on Jacque Jones' RBI single off Jose Valverde (1-3).

Royals 8, Giants 1

SAN FRANCISCO — D.J. Carrasco (2-1) pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game, and Tony Graffanino homered and drove in two runs to help Kansas City snap a nine-game road losing streak.

National League

Mets 3, Astros 1