HOUSTON (AP) -A week ago Jeff Keppinger thought he was going to be released from the Cincinnati Reds after a sluggish spring.

Instead he was traded to Houston, where Keppinger shook off his recent struggles with a broken-bat single in the 10th inning off closer Kevin Gregg that gave the Astros a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

''I'm glad I could come through for the team,'' he said.

Hunter Pence homered and Michael Bourn had an RBI single for the Astros, who carried a 2-1 lead into the eighth before Alfonso Soriano hit a long home run off LaTroy Hawkins .

Ivan Rodriguez opened the bottom of the 10th with an infield single down the third-base line, his first hit with Houston after starting the season 0-for-7. Lance Berkman followed with another single off Neal Cotts (0-1) before Cubs manager Lou Piniella brought in Gregg.

Rodriguez advanced to third when pinch-hitter Jason Michaels flied out to center. Miguel Tejada was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Keppinger, who entered as a pinch-runner in the ninth.

''As soon as I saw Michaels hit the sac-fly, I knew they were going to walk Tejada,'' Keppinger said. ''So I was just making sure I got a good pitch to hit.''

Keppinger snapped his bat and stumbled out of the box on his grounder between third and shortstop that scored Rodriguez.

''It's always nice to contribute,'' Rodriguez said. ''Keppinger came late, I came late and we are both helping the team win ball games and that's why we're here.''

Aaron Miles reached base with two outs in the top of the 10th on a throwing error by Tejada at shortstop. Doug Brocail (1-0) retired Soriano for the third out.

Astros closer Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts. He was helped out when Tejada grabbed a grounder by Reed Johnson , spun all the way around and threw out Johnson at first.

Soriano's homer bounced off the railroad tracks atop the wall in left-center. He also homered on the second pitch of Monday night's game.

Bourn put the Astros on top 2-1 with his RBI single in the sixth.

Pence tied it at 1 with a homer to left-center in the fifth.

Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez allowed four hits and one run in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.

Cubs starter Ryan Dempster , who had a career-high 17 wins and made the All-Star team last season, gave up six hits and two runs with five strikeouts in six innings.

At St. Louis, Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer and reached base five times to help the Cardinals to their first win.

Pujols went 2-for-3 with two walks and also reached on an error after going 3-for-4 in Monday's season-opening 6-4 loss.

Chris Duncan and Yadier Molina also had two-run homers for St. Louis, which pounded out 12 hits against four pitchers.

Kyle Lohse (1-0) allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits to move to 4-0 in six career starts against Pittsburgh.

Freddy Sanchez hit a two-run homer and Ryan Doumit had a sacrifice fly for the Pirates. Ian Snell (0-1) lasted just four innings, allowing eight runs, six earned, and nine hits.

At Phoenix, Ubaldo Jimenez threw seven sparkling innings and Troy Tulowitzki homered for the second straight game to lead Colorado.

Jimenez (1-0) gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked three in his first career victory over Arizona. He was 0-1 in four previous starts against the Diamondbacks despite a 2.77 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 26 innings.

Manuel Corpas worked the eighth and Huston Street finished the five-hitter for his first save with the Rockies. Street was acquired in the offseason trade that sent Matt Holliday to the Oakland Athletics .

Dan Haren (0-1) allowed one run and three hits over seven innings for Arizona. He struck out nine and walked none.

At San Diego, Heath Bell rang in the post- Trevor Hoffman era, striking out the side in the ninth inning to save the Padres' win.

It was the first save opportunity this season for Bell, promoted to closer after the awkward offseason departure of Hoffman, baseball's career saves leader.

After more than a decade of watching Hoffman jog in to AC/DC's ''Hells Bells,'' fans in San Diego got a taste of Bell jogging to the mound in a heavy mist, accompanied by ''Blow Me Away'' by Breaking Benjamin, from the soundtrack to the video game Halo 2.

Bell finished a combined five-hitter, with three relievers pitching three hitless innings to preserve the win for Chris Young (1-0).

Randy Wolf (0-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings for Los Angeles.

At Philadelphia, Jair Jurrjens and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, and Kelly Johnson and Chipper Jones each hit solo homers for the Braves.

The defending World Series champions are off to an 0-2 start for the fourth straight year.

Jurrjens (1-0) beat a pitcher twice his age, 46-year-old Jamie Moyer . The right-hander gave up four hits and walked three in 5 2-3 impressive innings.

Moyer (0-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings.

At San Francisco, Travis Ishikawa hit a three-run triple, Aaron Rowand had three RBIs and the Giants overcame Tim Lincecum 's struggles to get the win in the majors' final opener.

Rowand, Bengie Molina and Randy Winn homered for the Giants, whose 12-hit battering of Milwaukee pitching more than made up for the shortest start of Lincecum's career. The NL Cy Young Award winner made it through just three innings, yielding three runs, four hits and three walks.

Milwaukee didn't get much more from Jeff Suppan (0-1), who hit an RBI double but gave up six runs over four innings in manager Ken Macha 's debut with the Brewers.

Joe Martinez (1-0) gave up two runs over two rocky innings to win in his major league debut.

At Miami, Josh Johnson pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and Florida got home runs from Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla .

Two-run shots by Cantu and Uggla spoiled the return of Scott Olsen (0-1), chased early in his first regular-season game against the Marlins, who traded him in the offseason after drafting him in 2002.

Johnson (1-0) struck out eight and walked none, displaying the crisp pop on his fastball that could make him the ace of a promising young pitching staff. The right-hander came back from elbow surgery last July.

Austin Kearns hit a two-run homer in the eighth Cristian Guzman had an RBI double in the ninth for the Nationals.