Franco one for ages

Julio Franco became the oldest player in major league history to hit a home run when he connected for a two-run, pinch-hit shot in the eighth inning last night to help the New York Mets rally for a 7-2 win over the Padres in San Diego.

Franco, 47, drove a 1-and-0 pitch from reliever Scott Linebrink (1-2) down the right-field line at Petco Park, giving the Mets a 3-2 lead and Franco the fourth pinch-hit homer of his career.

Franco knocked Athletics pitcher Jack Quinn out of the record book. Quinn was 46 years 357 days old when he homered June 27, 1930. Franco already was the oldest player to hit a grand slam, a pinch-hit homer, and have a multihomer game.

The Mets had as many hits in the six-run eighth as they did in their previous two games, when they were the victims of consecutive three-hitters by the Atlanta Braves.

Kazuo Matsui hit another notable homer for the Mets. His inside-the-park homer leading off the third made this the third straight year he's homered in his first at-bat of the season. The last player to do that was Ken Griffey Jr. from 1997-99, while with Seattle.

Rangers 4, Mariners 3 -- Seattle closer Eddie Guardado walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning and then walked Phil Nevin to force in Gerald Laird with the go-ahead run in Texas's win in Seattle.

Guardado (0-2), appearing for the first time since allowing a two-run, winning home run Sunday, imploded again. He angrily pounded his thigh with his glove after his third walk, to Michael Young. He then struck out Mark Teixeira for the second out.

But he then walked Nevin to send the Mariners to their fourth loss in five games.

Nationals 10, Phillies 4 -- Frank Robinson got his 1,000th win as a manager, with Nick Johnson hitting a pair of homers in visiting Washington's victory over Philadelphia.

The 70-year-old Robinson is 1,000-1,095 in 16 seasons with Cleveland, San Francisco, Baltimore, and the Montreal-Washington franchise. He became the 53d manager to reach the milestone.

Billy Traber (1-0) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and only two hits in his first outing in three years. The lefthander, who lasted 5 2/3 innings, hadn't pitched in the majors since Sept. 16, 2003, for Cleveland. Traber missed the 2004 season after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow and pitched in the minors for the Indians last year.

Orioles 9, Indians 4 -- Erik Bedard remained unbeaten, Miguel Tejada homered and drove in three runs, and host Baltimore rallied to down Cleveland.

Javy Lopez, Jeff Conine, and Tejada each had two RBIs during a six-run sixth that erased a 4-3 deficit and gave Baltimore its sixth win in eight games.

Bedard (4-0) pitched six innings and joined Boston's Curt Schilling and Atlanta's Oscar Villareal as the majors' only four-game winners. Bedard allowed four runs -- three earned -- six hits, and two walks, striking out seven.

Reds 12, Brewers 8 -- Brandon Phillips hit his first grand slam and added another shot for his first two-homer game to help visiting Cincinnati beat Milwaukee.

Trailing, 6-2, the Reds scored 10 straight runs to make it 12-6, including five in the sixth when Phillips hit his two-out grand slam off reliever Mike Adams.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Brewers reliever Justin Lehr (1-1), who had just entered for starter Tomo Ohka, to give the Reds a 7-6 lead, Cincinnati's first advantage since it was 2-0 in the second.

Angels 6, Twins 4 -- A day after Francisco Rodriguez' club-record streak of 22 straight save conversions ended, the Los Angeles closer was back in form, stopping host Minnesota.

Jose Molina's two-out double drove in pinch runner Maicer Izturis to break an eighth-inning tie and Rodriguez got four outs for his fifth save.

Giants 9, Diamondbacks 7 -- Mark Sweeney drew a bases-loaded walk from Brandon Medders to force in the go-ahead run and Pedro Feliz added a two-run double to lead San Francisco over Arizona in Phoenix.

The Giants led, 6-0, in the fourth inning. But Arizona tied it at 6-6 when catcher Johnny Estrada hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning off Tim Worrell (2-0), who blew his first save in seven chances.

Tigers 4, Athletics 3 -- Curtis Granderson drew a bases-loaded walk that brought home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, and visiting Detroit rallied to beat Oakland.

Brandon Inge drew a walk from Justin Duchscherer (1-1), filling in for closer Huston Street, on a 15-pitch at-bat that loaded the bases for Granderson.