Mets Rally Past League Champs

National League

Carlos Baerga, who hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning, singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth as the New York Mets rallied for their sixth straight win Tuesday night at Shea Stadium, 6-5 over the Atlanta Braves.

Baerga’s heroics gave the Mets the first two games of the three-game series and brought them within four games of first-place Atlanta in the N.L. East.

With the win, the surprising Mets are 11 games better than .500 for the first time since July 30, 1991.

Giants 4, Padres 1 San Francisco

Barry Bonds hit his 17th homer and Shawn Estes allowed one run in eight innings for his 10th win of the season as San Francisco defeated San Diego.

Reds 7, Expos 6 (10) Montreal

Lenny Harris singled home the winning run in the 10th as Cincinnati snapped a three-game losing streak.

Eduardo Perez homered, drove in three runs and had a career-high four hits for the Reds.

Marlins 4, Phillies 1 Philadelphia

Al Leiter allowed one run in six innings and Jim Eisenreich and Gary Sheffield each drove in a run as Florida edged Philadelphia.

Pirates 8, Astros 3 Houston

Jon Lieber pitched seven strong innings and Al Martin and Kevin Young hit back-to-back homers as Pittsburgh defeated Houston to move within 1-1/2 games of the Central Division-leading Astros.

Every Pirate starter had at least one hit, while the Astros, who have scored three runs in their last 23 innings, managed just five hits to give them seven in their last two games.

Cardinals 7, Cubs 2 St. Louis

Andy Benes allowed four hits in seven innings for his 100th career victory and Ron Gant broke out of a slump with three hits and three RBIs as St. Louis beat Chicago.

Rockies 6, Dodgers 2 Los Angeles

Emergency starter Darren Holmes pitched eight strong innings and Larry Walker hit his 22nd homer, leading Colorado to a win.

Holmes (3-1), starting in place of Rockies ace Roger Bailey, who has a strained left hamstring, allowed five hits while walking two and striking out a career-high seven.

Reds camp to Sarasota

The Sarasota (Fla.) City Commission voted unanimously to approve a deal that will make the Sarasota Sports Complex the new spring training home of Cincinnati. The team is assuming the lease at Ed Smith Stadium held by the Chicago White Sox, who are leaving Sarasota to train in Arizona. The current lease runs through 2008.

The Reds, who spent the previous 10 years at Plant City, will hold their instructional league and fantasy camp at the complex.

Clearing the bases

Catcher Mike Piazza of Los Angeles, with 1,394,250 votes, is a runaway leader in fan balloting for the N.L. team for next month’s All-Star Game. … Pete Rose Jr., 27, the son of baseball’s career hits leader, was promoted to Cincinnati’s Triple-A team in Indianapolis. It will be Rose’s first Triple-A experience. The infielder was batting .324, with 13 home runs for Double-A Chattanooga. He was fourth in the Southern League with 57 RBIs. … Rickey Henderson scored a run for the Padres, giving him 1,857. He needs two more to tie Mel Ott for ninth place on the career list.