Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rockies’ Decision Sends Cubs To Win

Associated Press

National League

Shawon Dunston wasn’t at all “insulted,” he said, when Colorado manager Don Baylor ordered Mark Grace intentionally walked to get to Dunston in the seventh inning Saturday.

“Not at all insulted,” Dunston said. “It was the right move. I’m hitting .300, but Grace is the real .300 hitter on this club. I would have done the same thing myself.”

Cubs manager Jim Riggleman agreed that Baylor exercised proper strategy when he ordered Juan Acevedo to walk Grace with Rey Sanchez on second and one out in the 0-0 ballgame.

“Everybody in baseball would have done what Don Baylor did,” Riggleman said. “Sometimes you make the right move, but it doesn’t go the right way.”

Dunston fouled up the correct strategy when, with the a 1-1 count, he whacked a fastball from Acevedo out onto Waveland Avenue. The three-run homer beat the Rockies 3-0, enabled Mike Morgan (2-1) to shade Acevedo (3-5) in their masterful pitching battle and snapped the Cubs’ losing streak at five games.

Morgan wasn’t overpowering. He walked one batter, struck out one, averaged less than four called balls per inning and had 15 groundouts among the 22 batters he retired.

Acevedo had a no-hitter until Pratt singled in the sixth. Acevedo’s pitch count was 12 for each of the first five innings, and he needed just nine pitches in the sixth.

Expos 11, Giants 5

San Francisco

Butch Henry won for the first time in nine starts this season, and Wil Cordero and Rondell White each homered as Montreal beat San Francisco.

Pirates 6, Marlins 2

Miami

Rookie Esteban Loaiza pitched 6 strong innings and Pittsburgh prevented Florida from matching its franchise record of five consecutive victories.

Cardinals 7, Braves 3

Atlanta

Ray Lankford’s fourth consecutive hit off Tom Glavine - a two-run single - capped a four-run seventh that lifted St. Louis past Atlanta.

Reds 3, Astros 2

Houston

John Smiley improved his record to 5-0 and Cincinnati won for the 26th time in 32 games by beating Houston.

Padres 4, Mets 2

San Diego

Scott Sanders pitched a four-hitter and struck out 12 for his first complete game in 39 career starts, and Tony Gwynn’s two-run double broke a tie in the fifth as San Diego defeated New York.

Phillies 3, Dodgers 0

Los Angeles

Tyler Green shut out Los Angeles for the second time in less than three weeks, and his fivehitter allowed Philadelphia to roll to a win.

Sheffield on the shelf

In their 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Florida Marlins were dealt a crippling blow when their biggest offensive threat, Gary Sheffield, tore a ligament in his left thumb. Sheffield will be out for the season.

Sheffield’s injury occurred after falling while trying to return to second base.

“My feet just gave out and all my weight landed on my thumb,” Sheffield said. “I knew right away. I heard it pop. It looked like the bone was coming out, so I popped it back into place.”

Clearing the bases

Houston is 7-14 at home and has scored 66 runs. The Astros are 12-7 on the road, with 121 runs… . Shortstop Jeff Branson’s second-inning miscue was only the third error Cincinnati has committed since May 23.