Rockies Delay Braves’ Clincher

National League

Vinny Castilla and Lance Painter haven’t been treated well by the Atlanta Braves. So with the Braves on the verge of clinching a share of the N.L. East title, they got a bit of revenge.

Castilla went 4 for 5 and drove in three runs, and Painter won his first start of the season as the Colorado Rockies cruised to a 12-2 victory Tuesday night in Denver.

Castilla, who was drafted from the Braves in the 1992 expansion draft, had gone 19 for 84 in 12 games against his former team. But Tuesday, he had his fifth career four-hit game and the fourth this year, and hit his 31st home run.

“It was satisfying, but not just because it happened against the Braves,” Castilla said. “It meant a lot because we are in a pennant race and we have to beat the Braves to stay ahead.”

The win kept Colorado a game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the N.L. West.

Phillies 8, Expos 2

Montreal

Mike Williams pitched six strong innings in a rare start and Gregg Jefferies knocked in three runs as Philadelphia rolled to victory over Montreal.

Cardinals 10, Giants 4

St. Louis

Ray Lankford homered for the fourth consecutive game and Bernard Gilkey had two RBI doubles as St. Louis beat San Francisco for its season-high fifth straight victory.

Lankford’s 22nd home run in the first inning off Mark Leiter (9-10) extended his hitting streak to 13 games, tied with Brian Jordan for the team’s longest of the year.

Dodgers 7, Cubs 1

Chicago

Hideo Nomo dominated one of the few teams that had given him trouble in his outstanding rookie season, allowing six hits over eight innings as Los Angeles beat Chicago.

When he faced Chicago on Aug. 15, Nomo (11-5) allowed a career-high 11 hits in 6 innings. That began a three-game stretch in which he lost twice and had an 8.10 ERA.

Astros 8, Mets 6

New York

Derrick May’s two-run homer in the sixth broke a tie and Houston starter Donne Wall earned his first major-league victory as the Astros held off New York.

Padres 5, Pirates 1

Pittsburgh

Marc Newfield hit an RBI single and saved two runs with a diving catch in left field, and Fernando Valenzuela won his third straight decision as San Diego beat Pittsburgh.

The Padres ended their four-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their last 10 road games.

Marlins 5, Reds 4

Cincinnati.

Gary Sheffield’s two-run homer broke a tie in the fifth inning as Florida beat the slumping Reds after a lengthy rain delay despite hitting into a triple play. Sheffield’s homer off Tim Pugh handed Cincinnati its ninth loss in 13 games.

Clearing the bases

Astros outfielder Derek Bell, who only was expected to miss up to two weeks with a leg injury, will instead be sidelined for six to eight weeks after surgery revealed he had a muscle tear in his left thigh… . Pitcher Alan Benes, St. Louis’ first-round pick in 1993 and the younger brother of Seattle starter Andy Benes, was among six players promoted by the Cardinals from Triple-A Louisville.