Walker Launches 39th, 40th To Propel Rockies Past A’S

Larry Walker hit his N.L.-leading 39th and 40th home runs, including a 493-foot shot that was the longest in Coors Field history, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Oakland A’s 10-4 Sunday for their sixth straight win.

Walker drove in four runs and went 3 for 4, raising his batting average to .378. He homered and hit an RBI single during a seven-run fifth inning.

Matt Stairs homered twice for the Athletics, who lost their fourth in a row.

Walker hit a two-run homer in the third inning, then connected during in the fifth for the longest drive in the ballpark’s three-year history. The 493-footer was six feet longer than the shot Andres Galarraga hit Friday against Seattle. Walker has seven multi-homer games this season and 16 in his career.

Yankees 3, Expos 2

New York

Mariano Rivera escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning to help Andy Pettitte beat Montreal.

Pettitte (16-7) took a shutout into the eighth and was protecting a 3-0 lead when he left after giving up a one-out single. Jeff Nelson allowed a single, and was replaced by Mike Stanton with two outs.

David Segui walked before Rondell White’s two-run single made it 3-2. Rivera came in with a 2-0 count on Jose Vidro and walked him before striking out pinch-hitter Darrin Fletcher.

Rivera, who had blown his last two save opportunities, has 40 in 48 chances.

Bernie Williams homered in the third off Mike Johnson (1-2) as the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep.

Angels 7, Giants 4

San Francisco

Angelo Encarnacion, who entered the game without an A.L. hit, connected for a three-run homer and added an RBI single for Anaheim.

Darrell May (2-1), making his first start of 1997, allowed three runs in five innings for the Angels.

Encarnacion, who played for Pittsburgh in 1995-96, was promoted from the minors on Tuesday. He singled in the second inning for his first A.L. hit, then homered in the fourth.

Marlins 8, Blue Jays 3

Toronto

Rookie Livan Hernandez improved to 9-0 and Florida completed a three-game sweep of Toronto.

Hernandez became the first rookie to win his first nine decisions since Whitey Ford of the Yankees in 1950. The right-hander also set a club record with six straight strikeouts, and his total of eight matched a career-high.

Jose Cruz Jr. hit his 21st homer for Toronto.

Indians 9, Cubs 5

Cleveland

Pitcher Charles Nagy looked ready for September, and Matt Williams extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games with two RBI singles.

Nagy (13-9) rebounded from a poor start, allowing one earned run and nine hits in seven innings. He improved to 56-28 - third-best in the majors since 1994 behind Baltimore’s Mike Mussina and Atlanta’s Greg Maddux.

Tigers 2, Phillies 1

Detroit

Justin Thompson outdueled Mark Leiter for his first win in four starts and Deivi Cruz had three hits for Detroit.

Thompson (12-10) gave up a run on six hits in 7-2/3 innings, striking out seven. Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 25th save, his 17th straight successful save chance.

Leiter (9-14), who had won four of his last six starts, allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings, and matched his season high with nine strikeouts.

Padres 5, Rangers 3

San Diego

Wally Joyner went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Ken Caminiti hit a bases-loaded single to highlight a four-run third inning for San Diego.

White Sox 3, Astros 1

Chicago

Albert Belle drove in two runs, reaching 100 RBIs for the sixth straight season as Chicago swept the three-game series.

James Baldwin (11-13) allowed six hits and a run in 6-2/3 innings. Matt Karchner got three outs for his 12th save.

The game ended when Craig Biggio was thrown out at third as the Astros tried a double steal. Derek Bell was at the plate with runners on first and second when catcher Jorge Fabregas nailed Biggio.

Brewers 3, Pirates 2

Milwaukee

Pinch-hitter Jeff Huson’s one-out RBI single with the bases loaded in the ninth won it for Milwaukee.

With the score tied 2-2, Jessie Levis opened the Brewers’ ninth with a double off Marc Wilkins (8-4), and pinch-runner Brian Banks advanced on a sacrifice by Gerald Williams.

Wilkins intentionally walked Fernando Vina and Jose Valentin to load the bases before Huson, pinch-hitting for Darrin Jackson, singled over the outfield playing in to snap an 0-for-12 slide

Cardinals 5, Royals 4

Kansas City, Mo.

Willie McGee’s infield single enabled Royce Clayton to hustle home with the go-ahead run as St. Louis scored five times in the seventh inning.

With two out in the seventh and the Cardinals trailing 3-0, Mike Difelice hit an RBI single off Glendon Rusch. After Scarborough Green singled, Olson relieved and gave up an RBI single to Clayton.

Twins 8, Reds 6

Minneapolis

Marty Cordova, mired in a 1-for-26 slump, hit a pair of RBI doubles, helping Brad Radke beat Cincinnati.

Cordova doubled home the go-ahead run in a four-run sixth inning and doubled again in the eighth. Paul Molitor added three hits and scored twice.

Radke (18-7) survived a shaky second inning to win.

Mets 4, Orioles 1

Baltimore

Rick Reed allowed four hits in seven innings and New York gave Baltimore its first two-game losing streak in more than six weeks.

Bernard Gilkey and Butch Huskey homered for the Mets, who won two of three from the A.L. East-leading Orioles.

Reed (11-8) ended a career-high four-game losing streak, retiring the first 10 batters.

Clearing the bases

Cleveland acquired Bip Roberts, 33, from Kansas City for a minor league pitcher. … Anaheim’s Tony Phillips has hit in all 10 games since his reinstatement following a suspension by the Angels after his arrest on drug charges. … The Rockies’ Larry Walker and Oakland’s Matt Stairs are the first Canadian-born players to hit at least 20 home runs in the same major league season. … Colorado’s Vinny Castilla’s 21-game hitting streak is two short of Dante Bichette’s franchise record. … Former Cardinals and Royals stars Ozzie Smith and George Brett exchanged lineup cards at home plate as honorary captains of their former teams. … The Twins finished the month with an 8-20 record, the worst August in club history. … Andy Pettitte recorded his 13th pickoff in the eighth inning to give the Yankees a major-league-leading 30.