ATLANTA (AP) — Max Scherzer pitched seven strong innings to help the New York Mets beat Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Monday night in the opening game of their NL East showdown.

Scherzer (6-1) gave up only three hits, including Austin Riley’s 24th homer in the seventh. That cut the Mets’ lead to 2-1, but Luis Guillorme answered with his solo drive off Darren O’Day in the eighth.

All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, pitching for the third straight day, struck out the side in the ninth for his 19th save.

Former Mets second baseman Robinson Cano, obtained by Atlanta for $1 in a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres on Sunday, had two hits in his Braves debut.

NL East-leading New York moved 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Atlanta.

Fried (9-3) gave up two runs on five hits and five walks, matching his career high, in five innings.

CARDINALS 6, PHILLIES 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas pitched into the eighth inning for St. Louis, and Albert Pujols passed Stan Musial on the career extra-base hits list.

Mikolas (6-7) gave up six hits, including a first-inning homer by Rhys Hoskins, struck out five and walked none in 7 1/3 innings.

Corey Dickerson and Lars Nootbar homered for St. Louis.

The teams split the four-game series and are tied for the final NL wild card.

Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola (6-6) was charged with five runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked none.

RAYS 10, RED SOX 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Diaz had three hits, scored three times and drove in three runs, sending Tampa Bay to the victory.

Diaz’s 10th multihit game since June 26 raised his batting average to .500 (27 for 54) over his last 15 games.

Tampa Bay had dropped four of six, including a three-game series sweep at lowly Cincinnati over the weekend. Luke Bard (1-0) pitched three innings for his first win with the Rays.

J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo had two hits apiece for the Red Sox, who have given up 25 runs in losing their last three games against the Rays. Jake Diekman (4-1) was charged with the loss.

GUARDIANS 8, WHITE SOX 4

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Nolan Jones drove in four runs in his home debut for Cleveland, leading the Guardians to the victory in the opener of a four-game series between the AL Central rivals.

Jones hit a two-run single in the first inning off Lance Lynn (1-2). He then chased the right-hander by driving home two more runs with a double in the fifth.

Back from a 1-6 road trip to Detroit and Kansas City, the Guardians staked Cal Quantrill (5-5) to a five-run lead in the first and moved back to .500 (42-42).

Yoan Moncada hit a three-run homer as the White Sox began an eight-game trip leading into the All-Star break.

PIRATES 5, MARLINS 1

MIAMI (AP) — Mitch Keller pitched seven effective innings and Jake Marisnick homered, leading Pittsburgh to the victory.

Keller (3-6) allowed one run and five hits in his longest outing of the season. Yerry De Los Santos struck out four in 1 1/3 innings for his third save.

Diego Castillo drove in two runs and Kevin Newman had three hits for the Pirates, who won their third straight.

Avisail Garcia hit an RBI single in the sixth for Miami. Trevor Rogers (4-8) was charged with three runs, two earned, and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.