Gwynn Hustles To Beat Reds
National League
Tony Gwynn, back after missing five games with a kidney stone ailment, beat out a fielder’s choice in the 10th inning Thursday to give the Padres a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds at San Diego.
Mandy Romero led off the 10th with a single off Jeff Shaw (3-2) and Craig Shipley sacrificed. Romero took third on Quilvio Veras’ infield single before Gwynn bounced to second baseman Bret Boone. Boone stepped on the bag for one out, but his off-balance relay was too late to get Gwynn.
Padres stopper Trevor Hoffman (5-4) struck out the side in the last of the 10th.
Gwynn, who had the kidney stone surgically removed Sunday in Chicago, went 2 for 5 to raise his average to .383. He had an RBI double in the third.
Dodgers 1, Expos 0
Los Angeles
Ismael Valdes pitched 8-1/3 shutout innings and Mike Piazza homered as Los Angeles beat former teammate Pedro Martinez and Montreal for its 13th victory in 19 games.
Otis Nixon, acquired from Toronto on Tuesday and playing in his second game for the Dodgers, robbed David Segui of home runs in the second and fourth innings.
Martinez, traded by the Dodgers to the Expos after the 1993 season, fell to 1-3 lifetime against Los Angeles despite giving up only five hits and striking out 12 in seven innings.
Giants 7, Cubs 3
San Francisco
Shawn Estes got his 15th win and Bill Mueller hit a three-run homer as San Francisco beat Chicago.
With the victory, the Giants matched last year’s total of 68.
Mets 6, Cardinals 2
St. Louis
Bobby Jones won his 13th game on the 10th try and Edgardo Alfonzo’s grand slam broke open a one-run game in the fifth inning as New York beat St. Louis.
Jones (13-7) had been 0-4 with a 6.70 ERA since beating Pittsburgh June 20.
Clearing the bases
Barry Bonds went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts for the Giants, extending his slump to 2 for 35 in his last 10 games… . The Cardinals are 13-25 since July 2, when they were at .500 for the only time this season… . Cincinnati’s Deion Sanders went 0 for 5 to end his 11-game hitting streak.