Phillies’ Beech Ends Losing Skid
National League
Matt Beech ended his string of 22 straight starts without a victory, pitching the Philadelphia Phillies past the Colorado Rockies 5-0 Tuesday night.
Beech (1-7) had not won since beating Atlanta in his first major league start on Aug. 8, 1996. He was winless in his first 15 starts this season.
Beech retired the first 13 batters, and allowed just four hits in seven innings.
He walked none and struck out six.
The Phillies have won three in a row and 11 of 14. Colorado had won three straight.
Beech did not permit a runner until Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla and Kirt Manwaring hit successive singles that loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning. But Beech kept the Phillies ahead 4-0 when Quinton McCracken lined out, with Manwaring being doubled up at first on the play.
Giants 7, Reds 3
San Francisco
Wilson Alvarez struck out nine in 7-1/3 innings and drove in a run with his first major league hit as San Francisco defeated Cincinnati.
Alvarez (2-1), making his third start since the July 31 trade that brought him with pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin from the White Sox for six minor leaguers, allowed three runs on seven hits.
Hernandez relieved Alvarez with two runners on and one out in the eighth, and got five outs for his first N.L. save.
Cardinals 5, Mets 2
St. Louis
Mark McGwire homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead St. Louis to only its fourth win in 13 games.
McGwire was just 3 for 35 since being traded from Oakland on July 31. He led off the fourth inning with his second N.L. homer for a 3-1 lead, then hit a two-run double in the fifth.
Tom Pagnozzi, playing his first game since April 29, hit a two-run homer for St. Louis.
Todd Hundley hit his 26th homer, and second in two days.
Astros 13, Marlins 2
Houston
Mike Hampton won his seventh straight decision as Houston ballooned its run total to 40 in four games.
Tim Bogar, batting .417 in August, hit a two-run homer, James Mouton drove in three runs and Chuckie Carr had three hits, including a solo homer.
The N.L. Central-leading Astros finished with 16 hits as Hampton (10-7) overcame a career-high seven walks.
Pirates 5, Braves 2
Atlanta
Turner Ward’s two-run single against Mark Wohlers highlighted a four-run ninth for Atlanta’s first loss this season when leading after eight innings.
Wohlers (4-5) came on with a 2-1 lead in the ninth, but Jason Kendall singled and stole second before the next two hitters walked.
Ward, who entered in the seventh during a double switch, followed with a line drive to center that brought the tying and go-ahead runs home. The Braves had won 61 consecutive games this season when leading after the eighth.
Padres 6, Expos 4
San Diego
Rickey Henderson led off the seventh with his 250th career homer and Greg Vaughn added a two-run double in the inning as San Diego rallied to beat Montreal.
Doug Bochtler (3-5) allowed two hits and no runs in 1-1/3 innings of relief for the win.
Cubs 4, Dodgers 2
Los Angeles
Jose Hernandez, playing only because of an injury to shortstop Shawon Dunston, hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning to lead Chicago to a win.
Mark Clark (9-7), pitching for the first time since being traded to the Cubs by the New York Mets last week, allowed nine hits but just two runs in six-plus innings.