ST. LOUIS — Jose Reyes needed 20 innings to get something done at the plate.

Reyes hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly to help the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, in 20 innings last night in the longest game in the majors in two years.

"That's the happiest 0 for 7 I've ever had in my life," he said. "I played good defense, got the RBI, and we won the game. And finally, it's over."

Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) got the win despite yielding the tying run in the 19th and starter Mike Pelfrey finished for his first career save in a game that included 19 pitchers and lasted 6 hours, 53 minutes.

It was the longest game in the majors since Colorado beat San Diego 2-1 in 22 innings on April 17, 2008.

"This was crazy," Pelfrey said. "I thought it was never going to end."

Rodriguez said he threw as many as 100 pitches in the bullpen. He began warming up in the eighth and spent the next three hours getting up and then sitting down.

"I got up more than 10 times," he said. "Pretty much every inning."

Jeff Francoeur also had a sacrifice fly for New York in the 19th, snapping a scoreless tie, but Yadier Molina singled in Albert Pujols with two out in the bottom half.

St. Louis left the bases loaded in the 10th, 12th and 14th and stranded 22 runners, including 14 in extra innings. Molina caught the whole game and went 3 for 9.

"The outcome was disappointing but the heart that the club showed was amazing," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "I give them a standing ovation."

It was the longest scoreless game in the majors since the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos went 21 innings without a run on Aug. 23, 1989, according to STATS LLC. The Dodgers won that one 1-0 on Rick Dempsey's leadoff homer in the 22nd.

New York manager Jerry Manuel felt the key was the extra effort by Pelfrey, who threw a side session earlier in the day.

"Pelfrey asked to pitch. He stepped up and said, 'Hey I can do this,' " Manuel said.

Utilityman Joe Mather (0-1) became the first position player to lose a game since shortstop Josh Wilson for the San Diego Padres in a 9-6 setback in 18 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks last June 7.

Mather hit for Colby Rasmus in the 10th and played center and third before taking the mound in the 19th for his first major league pitching appearance.

Angel Pagan started the 20th with an infield single and advanced to third on Mike Jacobs' base hit to right. Reyes followed with a fly ball to center field to give New York a 2-1 lead.

ASTROS 4, CUBS 3

Roy Oswalt (1-2) allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings for his first win, J.R. Towles homered, and Houston hung on to beat host Chicago.

The Cubs scored three in the eighth and had the tying run on in the ninth after shortstop Tommy Manzella booted Ryan Theriot's two-out grounder. Theriot went to second on a wild pitch by Matt Lindstrom, but Kosuke Fukudome struck out, giving the Astros their second win in three games after an 0-8 start.

NATIONALS 8, BREWERS 0

Livan Hernandez pitched his first shutout in nearly six years, allowing only four hits in host Washington's win over Milwaukee.

Hernandez (2-0) didn't allow a hit after pitcher Randy Wolf's single in the fifth. He struck out three and walked two in his eighth career shutout — his first since July 30, 2004, while with Montreal.

GIANTS 9, DODGERS 0

Tim Lincecum scattered four hits over six innings and had three hits and three RBIs, leading San Francisco over host Los Angeles.

Lincecum (3-0) struck out seven and walked two. The two-time Cy Young winner has allowed just two runs over 20 innings in his first three starts.

MARLINS 5, PHILLIES 1

Ricky Nolasco took a four-hitter into the ninth, Ronny Paulino hit a three-run homer and Florida beat host Philadelphia.

The Marlins scored all their runs off Jamie Moyer (1-1) in the first inning. Nolasco (1-0) gave up five hits, struck out four and walked three, needing 109 pitches to record his fourth career complete game.

PIRATES 5, REDS 4

Garrett Jones singled off the wall in right-center with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth as host Pittsburgh came from behind against closer Francisco Cordero to beat Cincinnati.

Jones' hit — which snapped an 0-for-8 stretch for him — on a 3-2 pitch came just after Lastings Milledge drew a bases-loaded walk off Cordero on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to tie the game.

PADRES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 0

Nick Hundley homered and drove in three runs, and Kevin Correia pitched 5 2/3 strong innings to help host San Diego beat Arizona for its first series win this season.

Correia (2-1) held Arizona mostly in check as the Diamondbacks didn't get a runner past second against him.

NEW YORK 7, TEXAS 3

Alex Rodriguez passed Mark McGwire for eighth place with his 584th home run, Derek Jeter also connected and A.J. Burnett (2-0) pitched seven shutout innings to lead host New York over Texas.

The defending World Series champion Yankees have won four straight series to start a season for the first time since 1926.

ANGELS 6, BLUE JAYS 3

Howie Kendrick and Juan Rivera homered, Joe Saunders pitched eight strong innings and Los Angeles beat host Toronto.

Saunders (1-2), who came in with a 7.36 ERA, allowed two runs — none earned — and five hits. The left-hander walked one, struck out two, lowered his ERA to 4.26 and improved to 11-3 in April.

TWINS 6, ROYALS 5

Orlando Hudson hit the go-ahead home run leading off the seventh inning, the Twins' bullpen pitched four scoreless innings, and host Minnesota stretched its winning streak to five games with a victory over Kansas City.

With the game tied 5-5, Hudson hit a shot off reliever John Parrish (1-1) that bounced off the facing of the second level of seats in left field at Target Field. It was Hudson's first home run since signing with the Twins in the offseason.

ATHLETICS 4, ORIOLES 3

Ryan Sweeney hit a game-ending, two-run single with one out in the ninth inning, and host Oakland improved to 9-4 for its best start after 13 games since 1992.

The Orioles fell to 1-11, their worst start since opening the 1988 season with 21 consecutive losses, and lost third baseman Miguel Tejada to a possible leg injury in the sixth inning.

INDIANS 3, WHITE SOX 2

Shin-Soo Choo hit a go-ahead RBI double in a two-run eighth inning, lifting host Cleveland over Chicago.

Matt Thornton (1-1) gave up Grady Sizemore's single. Choo lined a 1-2 pitch to the wall in left-center and Sizemore scored easily.

Rays sweep red sox: Pat Burrell had a three-run double in the first inning and Tampa Bay held on for a 6-5 victory over host Boston.

In the completion of the game suspended because of rain in the ninth inning Friday night, Burrell homered with two outs in the 12th to lift the Rays to a 3-1 victory.

MARINERS 4, TIGERS 2

Casey Kotchman snapped a tie with an RBI double in the seventh and host Seattle beat Detroit.

Ichiro Suzuki finished a home run short of the cycle and scored twice for Seattle. Suzuki doubled and scored in the first, tripled and scored in the third and singled in the fifth. He walked in the eighth in his final at-bat. Suzuki has never hit for the cycle.