Mulder's right at home

The new Busch Stadium was both a hitter's and pitcher's park in its opening game -- at least for Mark Mulder.

The Cardinals' lefthander worked into the ninth inning and hit his first career home run to help host St. Louis beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-4, yesterday in the first major league game at the $365 million ballpark.

Mulder batted only .145 in his first NL season last year. But the exploits of Jason Marquis, who batted .310 with a homer and 10 RBIs, and the rest of a staff that keeps close track of its hitting gave him incentive.

''He's happy for me, but I think way deep down inside he's mad," Mulder said of Marquis. ''He just won't admit it. They already said I'm icing my back because I was swinging too hard."

Scott Rolen's two-run double in the fourth off Tomo Ohka (0-1) gave the Cardinals the lead for good and Albert Pujols hit his fourth homer, a drive to left-center estimated at 445 feet.

The Cardinals' first full day at the new ballpark began on a festive note, with Pujols and Chris Carpenter, the NL MVP and Cy Young Award winners, throwing out dual ceremonial first pitches to retired Cardinals greats Willie McGee and Bob Gibson.

It stayed festive most of the day for a sellout crowd of 41,936.

''It's nice to be home," Jim Edmonds said. ''It's been a long six weeks in spring training and then start off on the road. It's a beautiful place and I'm glad we could pull out a win for everybody."

Dodgers 8, Pirates 3 -- The Dodgers didn't need Jim Tracy to do what they often do in Pittsburgh. That's win, and win big.

Jason Repko homered and tripled to drive in four runs in the first two innings and the Dodgers roughed up their former manager's new team in its home opener.

Odalis Perez (1-0) limited the already slumping Pirates to one run and five hits over 5 1/3 innings after giving up seven runs and nine hits in three innings in his first start.

Tracy was allowed to leave by the Dodgers following a 91-loss season a year ago that was one of their worst since relocating from Brooklyn in 1958. He became the first former Dodgers manager to oppose the club since Leo Durocher managed the Astros in 1973.

Tracy's Dodgers were 427-383 in five seasons, including 20-7 against the Pirates. The Dodgers are 16-3 in Pittsburgh since 2001 and have won nine of 10 and 19 of 22 overall against the Pirates.

Astros 5, Nationals 4 -- Eric Bruntlett hit a sacrifice fly that scored Craig Biggio in the 12th inning and lifted host Houston over Washington.

Biggio led off the inning with a double and advanced on Willy Taveras's bunt.

Mike Stanton (0-1) intentionally walked Lance Berkman and Morgan Ensberg, who had homered off Chad Cordero in the 10th to tie the game at 4-4.

Bruntlett pinch hit for reliever Chad Qualls, hit a high fly to center fielder Brandon Watson, and Biggio crouched at third as he awaited the catch. Watson's throw home was high and late, and Biggio easily slid in with the winning run.

Braves 5, Phillies 3 -- Marcus Giles hit a tie-breaking homer in the seventh inning and Atlanta finally got a solid effort from a starting pitcher, winning its home opener over Philadelphia.

Giles's first homer and RBI of the season came in the seventh off Ryan Franklin (0-1) after the Phillies rallied from a 3-1 deficit against the Braves' bullpen.

That cost starter John Thomson a win, but it didn't diminish what he did to boost Atlanta's beleaguered rotation (34 runs in 30 1/3 innings coming in). He went five strong innings in his first start of the season, limiting the Phillies to an unearned run.

Orioles 6, Devil Rays 3 -- Erik Bedard scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings, helping Baltimore beat Tampa Bay in its home debut under new principal owner Stuart Sternberg.

Jay Gibbons kept up his red-hot hitting against Tampa Bay with a solo homer and bases-loaded infield single off Seth McClung (0-2).

Angels 5, Rangers 2 -- John Lackey allowed three hits over seven innings, Orlando Cabrera drove in the go-ahead run during a three-run second inning, and host Los Angeles beat Texas.

Lackey (1-1) shrugged off a two-run homer by cleanup batter Phil Nevin in the first inning and retired 12 of his last 13 batters.