Maddux Serves Up Rare Slam
National League
Benito Santiago hit the first regular-season grand slam ever allowed by Greg Maddux, connecting in the ninth inning for his second home run of the game off the Atlanta ace and leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the Braves 6-3 Friday night in Atlanta.
Maddux had not allowed a grand slam in 2,174-2/3 career innings until Santiago’s homer with one out broke a 2-2 tie. The Phillies scored five times in the ninth off Maddux (4-2) and won for the eighth time in nine games.
Maddux, a four-time Cy Young winner, gave up a slam in the 1989 N.L. playoffs to San Francisco’s Will Clark while pitching for the Chicago Cubs.
Cubs 4, Mets 2
Chicago
Sammy Sosa ended an 0-for-18 slump by hitting a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Chicago a win over New York.
Astros 4, Expos 1
Houston
Shane Reynolds won his fifth straight start and Derek Bell hit a two-run home, leading Houston over Montreal.
Dodgers 10, Pirates 1
Pittsburgh
Mike Piazza homered and pitcher Chan Ho Park had an RBI single for his first major league hit and Los Angeles broke open a close game with an eight-run ninth inning.
Eric Karros hit a three-run homer and Raul Mondesi followed with a solo shot, highlighting the Dodgers’ big inning.
Rockies 9, Marlins 5
Denver
John Vander Wal, the major league record holder for pinch hits in a season, drove in the go-ahead runs with a pinch-double as Colorado rallied for a win. Vander Wal has five pinch hits - in 17 at-bats - after getting 28 last year.
Cardinals 3, Padres 1
San Diego
St. Louis stopped a 15-game losing streak at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego behind Donovan Osborne’s seven strong innings.
The Cardinals won for the first time in San Diego since July 8, 1992.
Tom Pagnozzi hit an RBI single and made a key defensive play as St. Louis ended its season-high six-game losing streak.
Reds 5, Giants 3
San Francisco
Cincinnati ended a nine-game losing streak, defeating San Francisco when Willie Greene hit a three-run homer and later scored the tiebreaking run on Hal Morris’ single.
Perez likes second opinion
Montreal left-hander Carlos Perez, yet to pitch this season with a sore shoulder, received a second medical opinion on his injury that contradicts a diagnosis by the Expos’ team doctors.
Perez was told by Dr. William Bryant that there was no muscle tear under his left shoulder as the team’s doctors insist. Bryant advised a fourto-six week treatment program. Team physician Dr. Larry Coughlin suspects a muscle tear, which would sideline Perez for up to three months.
Clearing the bases
An MRI on Cubs third baseman Dave Magadan showed fluid from an unknown source in the hand. Magadan had surgery to remove a bone spur March 11 and was activated from the disabled list one day before the hand began troubling him again. … Montreal has come from behind to win 10 games this season, including nine from the sixth inning on. … Friday’s loss was Greg Maddux’s 20th in 79 decisions since joining the Braves for the 1993 season. … The Rockies tied Baltimore’s major-league record for consecutive sellouts with their 65th. …
Pittsburgh placed starters Orlando Merced and Carlos Garcia on the disabled list with hamstring injuries before the game against the Dodgers.