L.A. Loses Piazza To Injured Thumb

National League

Catcher Mike Piazza of the Los Angeles Dodgers, off to a torrid start this season with a .537 batting average, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a torn ligament in his left thumb.

The thumb will be placed in a cast for two weeks, then will be reexamined.

Piazza, who missed four games during the first week of the season because of a strained hamstring, has 22 hits in 41 at-bats in 10 games. He has four doubles, four home runs and 13 RBIs.

Piazza was hurt Wednesday when he stumbled while rounding first base after a hit against San Diego.The Dodgers said they would announce a roster replacement today.

Clearing the bases

Andre Dawson of Florida made his second start of the year but it didn’t help the Marlins, the league’s worst-hitting team.… Dante Bichette of Colorado extended his hitting streak to 10 games. … Charlie Hayes had three errors for Philadelphia - one more than the Phillies have had all year… . Houston is 8-0 in games in which it scores first… . Mark Lemke of Atlanta had an error to snap a 77-game error-less streak dating back to May 25, 1994.

Reds 3, Marlins 1 (15)

Miami

Damon Berryhill’s first hit of the year - a tiebreaking RBI single in the 15th - helped Cincinnati beat Florida.

Rockies 10, Giants 4

Denver

Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, rookie Jason Bates and Andres Galarraga homered as Colorado defeated San Francisco to sweep a three-game series.

Expos 13, Phillies 1

Philadelphia

Rookie Carlos Perez, making his first majorleague start, pitched five innings and hit a homer as Montreal ended Philadelphia’s seven-game winning streak.

Astros 12, Pirates 4

Pittsburgh

Phil Plantier hit a threerun homer in the first to lead Houston over Pittsburgh for a threegame sweep.

Mets 5, Braves 3

New York

Bobby Jones (2-1) scattered six hits over eight innings and Rico Brogna and Joe Orsulak had three hits apiece as New York defeated Atlanta.