PITTSBURGH -- Jameson Taillon pitched five scoreless innings in his return from treatments for testicular cancer and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Monday night.
Taillon (3-1) allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five. The 25-year-old had surgery May 8, four days after losing to the Reds at Cincinnati, then made three rehab starts in the minor leagues.
Josh Harrison hit a two-run home run, his eighth, in the first inning off Kyle Freeland (7-4). Harrison, David Freese and Jose Osuna each had two hits for the Pirates.
Freeland, a rookie, lost for the first time in seven road starts by giving up five runs (four earned) and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. Freeland failed to pitch the past the sixth inning for just the second time in his last 10 starts and allowed a home run in a sixth consecutive outing (see full recap).
Flowers helps Braves outslug Nationals
WASHINGTON -- Tyler Flowers hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Matt Albers in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves came from three runs down to beat the Washington Nationals 11-10 on Monday night and snap a three-game skid.
Flowers had been hitless in his first four at-bats before he took Albers' fastball to the opposite field and into the Nationals bullpen.
Philadelphia Phillies
Complete coverage of the Fightin' Phils and their MLB rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Matt Adams hit a pair of homers, including one of starter Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals' ace gave up six runs and three homers. Adams' second homer, a solo shot, was the first of five runs scored against a Nationals bullpen that blew its 11th save and second during a four-game losing streak.
Albers (2-1) allowed the final three runs in the ninth after entering to work out of an eighth-inning jam.
Atlanta's bullpen allowed two runs over 5 and 2/3 innings. Jason Motte (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Jim Johnson allowed a run but completed the ninth for his 13th save (see full recap).
deGrom, Mets top Cubs for 4th straight win
NEW YORK -- Jacob deGrom pitched a five-hitter, Asdrubal Cabrera atoned for an embarrassing error by lining two home runs and turning four double plays, and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 Monday night.
DeGrom (5-3) threw the Mets' first complete game of the season as New York won its fourth in a row.
Still under .500 but getting healthier, the Mets started a key two-week stretch where they face 14 straight games against teams that reached the NL playoffs last year.
The Cubs dropped to 31-32 with their ninth straight road loss -- the World Series champions haven't won away from Wrigley Field in a month during their worst road skid since 2012.
Mets star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes left the game because of a sore left heel. He went 1 for 3 before being pulled. On Saturday, Cespedes hit a grand slam at Atlanta in his return from a six-week stint on the disabled list. He had been out with a strained left hamstring, and also had been nagged by trouble with his quadriceps.
John Lackey (4-7) fell to 0-4 in five starts (see full recap).
