Morgan Fails In Bid For No-Hitter

National League

Mike Morgan felt he had something to prove.

“I’ve been hearing it’s a good trade for the Cubs and a bad trade for the Cardinals,” Morgan said of the trade that sent him from Chicago to St. Louis for Todd Zeile.

A 35-year-old journeyman acquired last month, Morgan threw no-hit ball for 8 1/3 innings and allowed only one hit as the Cardinals beat the Montreal Expos 6-0 Monday night.

“I’ve been in this game 17 years, so I’ve been able to do something right,” said Morgan, who’s 99-140 for his career.

He did a lot of things right Monday, holding the Expos hitless until Wil Cordero got an infield hit on a 2-2 pitch with one out in the ninth. He was then removed for Jeff Parrett, who got the last two outs.

Rockies 15, Astros 10

Denver

Andres Galarraga collected a club-record six hits, including two home runs, and drove in five runs to power Colorado past Houston.

Besides hitting his 15th and 16th homers, Galarraga had a double and three singles.

Braves 10, Phillies 4

Philadelphia

Steve Avery allowed only two runs in 7 1/3 innings and Charlie O’Brien and David Justice each had three RBIs as Atlanta won its third straight game over Philadelphia.

The victory moved the second-place Braves within one game of the Phillies in the N.L. East.

Marlins 5, Padres 2

Miami

Terry Pendleton drove in all of Florida’s runs and John Burkett pitched his first complete game of the season as the Marlins beat San Diego.

The switch-hitting Pendleton went 3 for 4, including a solo home run in the third, his fifth of the year and first while hitting from the right side.

Cubs 4, Mets 2

New York

Rey Sanchez hit his first home run since 1992, a two-run shot in the eighth inning that ruined a nice outing by New York rookie Bill Pulsipher and led Chicago past the Mets.

Pulsipher was cruising along with a four-hitter until Sanchez barely cleared the wall in right-center with two outs in the eighth.

Giants 8, Reds 7

Cincinnati

San Francisco blew a five-run lead, then rallied on Barry Bonds’ eighth-inning homer to beat Cincinnati.

Bonds lined a two-out, solo homer - his 14th - to center field off Xavier Hernandez (5-1) to snap the tie and the Giants’ string of seven consecutive losses to the Reds.

Clearing the bases

Colorado closer Bruce Ruffin was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 26, because of a lingering strained left elbow… . Houston reliever John Hudek has been examined in Colorado for a circulatory blockage problem in his right arm.