Bodog Beat

Kelly Johnson rapped two homers and totaled four hits for Atlanta. (AI Wire photo)

On the day slugger Mark Teixeira arrived, the Atlanta Braves showed they already have a lot of power.

Kelly Johnson had four hits, including two homers, and Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann also hit home runs as the Braves welcomed Teixeira to town with a 12-4 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Turner Field.

Johnson drove in five runs and McCann drove in four, including a two-run double in the eighth. The Braves paid -185 on the moneyline (meaning a winning wager of $185 would net a $100 profit).

Teixeira, obtained from Texas in a seven-player trade that was finalized earlier in the day, was activated for the game but did not arrive until the seventh inning. Grinning widely, Teixeira waved to fans from the dugout as he enjoyed his first ovation from Atlanta fans. The video board showed Teixeira wearing his new No. 24 uniform. Teixeira, who averaged 35 homers in his first four seasons in Texas and has 13 this year, is expected to start Wednesday night and may hit fourth.

Johnson hit a two-run home run and McCann also hit a homer as the Braves took a 5-1 lead with nine hits in four innings off Houston starter Chris Sampson (7-8).

In other early National League action on Tuesday:

Chicago Cubs 7, Philadelphia 3: Jacque Jones two-run single in the sixth keyed a three-run rally that gave the Cubs a lead at Wrigley Field that they would not relinquish. In a battle that could have ramifications for the NL wild-card chase, Chicago improved to 56-49, a half-game better than Philadelphia (56-50). The Cubs paid -133.

St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 4: Two misplays by Pirates catcher Ronny Paulino in the same at-bat helped the Cardinals score the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, and they went on to win their fourth in a row. The road win paid St. Louis backers -119 straight up. Adam Wainwright (10-8) limited the Pirates to two runs over six innings.

Colorado 6, Florida 3: Aaron Cook (8-6) allowed five hits in 7.2 innings to win his third start in a row as the Rockies beat the slumping Marlins in Miami. Garrett Atkins doubled home three runs for the Rockies, who won their third consecutive game. They're 54-51, matching the franchise's second-best record after 105 games. They paid -109 as they sent Florida to its seventh loss in eight games.

Washington 6, Cincinnati 3: Ryan Zimmerman's three-run double was the biggest hit in an explosive fifth inning that sent the Nationals to a win as -114 home favorites. Washington entered the day at 45-60 and Cincinnati at 45-61 - only Pittsburgh (42-61) was worse in the NL - but neither club made any deals before the deadline for trades without waivers.

For complete MLB odds for Wednesday, visit the Bodog Sportsbook.