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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 10, 2002
ATLANTA -- The Braves are always looking for ways to break up the monotony.
They've clinched on the field. They've clinched at 37,000 feet. Monday, they clinched the East from the couch.
Atlanta won its 11th division title in a row when the Mets beat the second-place Phillies 6-4. The defeat dropped the Phillies 21 games behind the idle Braves.
The Braves missed a chance to clinch on their own with a 7-0 loss to Montreal on Sunday.
While division titles are ho-hum in Atlanta, the Braves were ticked off that they might not get to celebrate as a team. There were no plans for the players to get together Monday night.
Instead, the title was delivered as they occupied their sofas in their homes.
"I thought it would go down to the last two days. I really did," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "Everybody's got enough pitching in the division now. You look at everyday lineups, they're very good, every team. I still think this might be the toughest division in baseball."
The Braves got off to a mediocre start -- six weeks into the season, they were two games under .500 -- but a 71-30 pace since then blew away the competition.
"We were going good when we came out of spring training. Same team," Cox said. "But the ball has to bounce your way once in a while."
His explanation for a three-month, 60-20 run: "Bounced our way a lot."
Atlanta moved into first for good May 27 and had a 91/2-game lead by the All-Star break. The Braves secured a postseason berth earlier than any team in Atlanta history. The 1975 Reds have the earliest clinching since divisional play began in '69, wrapping up the NL West on Sept. 7.
Mike Piazza went deep in a six-run seventh inning as the Mets set a season-high with their seventh consecutive victory.
The Mets, swept by the Phillies at Shea Stadium last weekend, completed their second four-game sweep at Veterans Stadium. The other came in 1972. They haven't lost since setting an NL record with 15 consecutive home losses.
The Phillies have lost seven of eight since reaching a season-high three games better than .500.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, PADRES 2: On the eve of his 39th birthday, Randy Johnson reached 300 strikeouts for the fifth consecutive season and earned his 21st victory for host Arizona.
Johnson, who moved into fourth on the career strikeout list in his previous start, already held the major-league record of four consecutive 300-strikeout seasons. His fourth 300-strikeout season in a row with Arizona set a record for NL pitchers.
Johnson has six 300-strikeout seasons overall, tying the major league mark held by Nolan Ryan.
He reached No. 300 with his seventh and final strikeout of the night, getting Gene Kingsdale looking to start the seventh.
GIANTS 6, DODGERS 5: Barry Bonds hit the longest home run ever at Pacific Bell Park, and San Francisco pulled even with Los Angeles in the wild-card race.
Bonds launched a 491-foot drive for his 610th career homer and David Bell hit a two-run, tiebreaking home run in the sixth.
Bell finished 3-for-3, driving in three and scoring two as the Giants won their fourth in a row and 12th in 15 games.
The West rivals play again today and Wednesday. Both have 19 games remaining.
CARDINALS 3, BREWERS 0: Woody Williams and four relievers combined on a five-hitter as visiting St. Louis won its sixth game in a row.
Albert Pujols doubled home a run for the Central-leading Cardinals, and Williams gave up three hits and a walk in five innings against a makeshift Brewers lineup.
The right-hander has been on the disabled list twice this season with a strained left oblique muscle, but he lowered his ERA to 2.55 in his third start since returning from the injury.
ASTROS 6, ROCKIES 5 (10): Mark Loretta's 10th-inning single drove in Craig Biggio with the winning run for host Houston.
The Astros have won five of seven and remain 51/2 games behind St. Louis in the Central.
Biggio led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Lance Berkman. Jeff Bagwell's flyout moved Biggio to third, and Loretta lined a hit through the left side.
REDS 9, PIRATES 8: Ex-Ray Jose Guillen hit a grand slam and drove in career high-tying five to lead Cincinnati before an announced 13,434, the Reds' smallest home crowd of the season. Guillen's shot gave the Reds a team-record eight grand slams this season.
CUBS 3, EXPOS 2: Alex Gonzalez homered in the ninth, his third winning shot at Wrigley Field this season. Sammy Sosa, who said before the game the Cubs need to clean house before next season, went 0-for-4 and is in a 5-for-30 skid.