Olerud Toast Of New York

National League

When John Olerud came to New York this season, there were those who thought his omnipresent batting helmet would be needed to fend off debris from angry Mets fans.

Turns out his shiny blue lid is necessary for other purposes, like protection from raucous postgame celebrations such as the one the lanky first baseman set off on Monday with a dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Mets a 4-3 victory over Colorado at New York’s Shea Stadium.

Joyful teammates mobbed Olerud - who had surgery to relieve a brain aneurysm eight years ago - at home plate after his one-out blast off Rockies reliever Jeff McCurry lifted the Mets to three games over .500 (23-20) for the first time since 1992.

Olerud jumped on McCurry’s first pitch, a low, inside fastball, and ripped it on a line over the 371-foot sign in right-center. The crowd of 14,248 got happy, and Olerud dispelled just a little bit more the notion that he couldn’t swallow the Big Apple.

The scene prompted manager Bobby Valentine to worry over his hot hitter’s health.

“I was a little concerned about people hitting him on the head,” Valentine said.

Not to worry, said Olerud, who was 2 for 3 and is a soft-spoken former Washington State standout.

“Everybody was real charged up about it,” he said of the game-winner, which scored Edgardo Alfonzo. “It’s a real big win. And winning with a home run in the bottom of the ninth, that’s a great way to do it. It’s a lotta fun.”

Olerud is the top hitter in the N.L. with runners in scoring position, batting .550.

Cubs 15, Giants 4 Chicago

Scott Servais drove in five runs to match his career high as Chicago whipped the Giants, who made four errors that led to four unearned runs.

Servais hit a run-scoring double in the second, an RBI groundout in the third and a three-run homer in the sixth. He also drove in five runs at Colorado on April 8, 1996.

Padres 13, Reds 6 Cincinnati

Steve Finley hit three of San Diego’s five homers and the Padres pulled off their first triple play in eight years as they won for only the eighth time in 28 games.

Padres starter Andy Ashby strained his right elbow and came out of the game in the second, and Reds closer Jeff Brantley left after throwing only four pitches in the ninth. Brantley has been disabled once this season by a sore shoulder.

Expos 2, Dodgers 1 Montreal

Jeff Juden (4-0) won his ninth consecutive decision since April 9, 1996, leading Montreal to its seventh win in nine games.

Juden took a shutout into the ninth before Todd Zeile led off with his sixth homer of the season, allowing seven hits in eight-plus innings with a season-high seven strikeouts. Ugueth Urbina finished for his sixth save.

Astros 9, Phillies 5 Philadelphia

Jeff Bagwell homered twice to tie Colorado’s Larry Walker for the N.L. lead at 14 and got his 1,000th career hit.

Bagwell, the 10th player to get 1,000 hits with the Astros, homered to lead off a four-run sixth that put Houston ahead 4-0 lead, the third homer of the night off Calvin Maduro (3-5). Bagwell homered off Ron Blazier leading off the seventh.

Braves 7, Cardinals 3 Atlanta

Chipper Jones drove in four runs with a homer and a double as Atlanta complete a four-game sweep.

Michael Tucker went 3 for 4 with a single, double and triple, scored three runs, drove in another and made a diving catch to stave off a potential rally.

Clearing the bases

Darryl Kile’s (4-2) string of 18 scoreless innings for Houston ended when Rico Brogna hit a solo homer in the sixth…. Atlanta, which has won seven of nine, improved to 30-13, the top record in the majors and the franchise’s best start.