Martinez Chases Gehrig
Roundup
Tino Martinez hit his major league-leading 38th homer, the most by a Yankees first baseman in 61 years, in New York’s 11-0 victory over the slumping Minnesota Twins at Minneapolis on Monday night.
Martinez’s three-run drive in the fourth inning gave him the most homers by a Yankees first baseman since Lou Gehrig hit 49 in 1936.
Martinez added an RBI single to give him a major league best 108 RBIs.
Chad Curtis, who hit a grand slam in Sunday’s game, had a career-high five hits, including two doubles for the Yankees. Curtis, who has seven consecutive hits, is 10 for 16 in his last three games.
Andy Pettitte (14-7) allowed five hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts and three walks.
Blue Jays 8, Tigers 2
Toronto
Pat Hentgen pitched eight strong innings and Benito Santiago hit a grand slam to power Toronto’s victory.
Rangers 8, Red Sox 3
Boston
Benji Gil hit a three-run homer for his first career hit in Fenway Park, then added two singles to lead the victory for Texas.
National League
Braves 2, Marlins 1
Atlanta
Atlanta gained some breathing room in the N.L. East, defeating Florida when Danny Bautista’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly brought home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Marlins, who have an 8-4 advantage over the N.L. champions this year, left Atlanta 5-1/2 games behind the Braves after splitting a four-game series contested in a playoff-like atmosphere.
Felix Heredia (4-2) walked Ryan Klesko to lead off the ninth, Mark Lemke bunted the runner over and Javy Lopez was walked intentionally. After Jay Powell came on to pitch, Tony Graffanino walked to load the bases and Bautista flied to right fielder Gary Sheffield, whose throw home was high.
Bautista has come through twice in the ninth in the past week, beating the St. Louis Cardinals with a ninth-inning homer last Wednesday.
Greg Maddux, in his first start since becoming baseball’s richest player, allowed only five hits and one run through eight innings, but he didn’t figure in the decision. Mark Wohlers (4-4) picked up the win.
Astros 8, Mets 3
New York
Jeff Bagwell, whose support helped Pete Harnisch come back from clinical depression, homered and doubled off his friend to lead Houston.
Harnisch (0-1) struggled in his second start since coming back from the illness that had sidelined him since opening day. He allowed eight runs and 10 hits, seven for extra bases, in only 4-2/3 innings.
Dodgers 2, Cubs 1
Los Angeles
Chan Ho Park, coming off the worst outing of his career, pitched a four-hitter for Los Angeles.
Park (11-6) allowed one runner as far as second base through the first seven innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one in getting his first complete game in his 33rd start.
Reds 7, Giants 4
San Francisco
Kent Mercker pitched seven strong innings and three Reds hit solo homers as Cincinnati won its third in a row.
Deion Sanders, playing despite a bulging disc, homered on the game’s first pitch; Chris Stynes hit his second major league homer in the second inning; and Joe Oliver hit his 12th of the season in the fifth.
Expos 6, Padres 3
San Diego
Rookie Vladimir Guerrero’s two-run homer in the sixth inning snapped a tie and sent Montreal on to victory.
Henry Rodriguez added a three-run homer and David Segui had a solo shot for Montreal, 8-2 against San Diego this season.
Tony Gwynn, who had a kidney stone removed Sunday in Chicago, flew back to San Diego Monday. Gwynn, who arrived shortly after the start of the game and stayed briefly before leaving, is not expected to play today.
Clearing the bases
Braves right-handed pitcher John Smoltz (2-0, 1.06 ERA and 18 strikeouts) and San Francisco Giants first baseman J.T. Snow (4 HRs, 11 RBIs, .947 slugging percentage) were named co-winners of the National League Player of the Week award. Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra (.450, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, .850 slugging percentage) won the American League award… . The Chicago Cubs acquired pitcher Mark Clark from the Mets as part of Friday’s six-player trade that sent outfielder Brian McRae and relief pitchers Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell to New York.