Reds Find Backers For New Ballpark

National League

Cincinnati Reds majority owner Marge Schott and prominent Cincinnati business leaders have agreed to work to build a new stadium for the Reds next to where Riverfront Stadium is located.

The proposed stadium would seat 45,000, cost about $200 million and could pave the way for Riverfront to be converted into a football-only stadium for the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I am committed to keeping the Cincinnati Reds in their home … Cincinnati, Ohio,” Schott said at a news conference. “Business leaders and I have agreed to work together to locate a new world-class stadium at Riverfront West that will benefit not only the Reds and their fans but the City of Cincinnati as well.”

Schott and the business leaders - called the Cincinnati Business Community - offered few specifics. There are no architectural designs and no land has been purchased. The group also said it doesn’t know how the project would be financed, although Schott said, “I don’t want to see it coming just from the taxpayers.”

Smith opts for surgery

Ozzie Smith, the major leagues’ oldest opening-day shortstop in more than four decades, will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair damage to his rotator cuff.

Cardinals doctors have told Smith, 40, that he should be sidelined 4-6 weeks.

Giants 4, Expos 3 (11)

Montreal

Barry Bonds and Matt Williams hit back-to-back homers in the ninth inning to tie the game and Bonds doubled home the winning run in the 11th to lead San Francisco to a victory over Montreal.

Bonds’ eighth homer - and third in as many games - came with one out and chased Montreal starter Butch Henry. Tim Scott relieved and Williams hit his league-leading 13th homer on a full-count pitch to tie the game 3-3.

Mets 8, Padres 0

New York

Pete Harnisch allowed four hits over eight innings and Brett Butler had three RBIs as New York beat San Diego for the Mets’ second victory in their last 10 games.

Butler’s two-run single in the fifth proved to be all the offense Harnisch (1-2), who struck out eight, needed to earn his first victory with New York.

Cardinals 8, Rockies 5

St. Louis

Errors on consecutive bunts helped St. Louis score three runs on one hit in the seventh inning as Colorado dropped to .500 for the first time this season.

Tom Pagnozzi, Ray Lankford and Todd Zeile drove in two runs each for the Cardinals. Zeile was 3 for 4 to lead a 14-hit attack, which matched St. Louis’ season high.

Reds 4, Pirates 2

Pittsburgh

Pete Schourek allowed four hits over 8 1/3 innings and Cincinnati extended the longest winning streak in the majors this season to eight by beating Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati has won 18 of 21 and is 5-0 on its current road trip.

Phillies 5, Dodgers 0

Philadelphia

Tyler Green scattered seven hits for his first major-league shutout and Philadelphia scored four unearned runs in the third as the Phillies improved the best record in the major leagues to 23-8.

Green (4-3) struck out four and walked four in his first nine-inning complete game.