NL: Late power lifts Montreal again
By Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 27, 2003
MONTREAL - Jose Macias met Billy Wagner's 98 mph fastball just right to give the Expos their latest winning home run.
Macias hit his first homer of the season with one out in the 10th inning as Montreal extended its winning streak to three with a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday.
The homer was the Expos' fourth to win a game and third to end one. Wagner was working a rare third inning of relief when Macias connected.
"I know he throws a pretty good fastball and I was looking for it the whole time," Macias said. "I knew if I got it in a good spot I could hit it hard. As soon as you hit a 98 mile per hour fastball, when you hit it in a good spot the ball is jumping."
Wagner went beyond two innings for the first time since July 14, 1997, when he pitched three for the win in a 9-7, 15-inning victory in Chicago. It was his second blown save in six opportunities this season.
"I knew that I was going to go back out there," Wagner said. "For whatever reason, I just knew that I had to get through a third (inning) and if I'd have got through that with a low pitch count, I'd have probably pitched a fourth."
Rocky Biddle pitched the 10th for the win as the East-leading Expos improved to 15-9, 4-1 at Olympic Stadium.
Jeff Bagwell went 2-for-5 to reach 2,000 career hits. He hit his ninth homer in the third off rookie Claudio Vargas. He beat out an infield hit in the 10th to join Craig Biggio as the only Astros players to reach the milestone.
The crowd of 8,492, largest in four games since 36,879 attended Tuesday's home opener, gave Bagwell a warm ovation when the feat was announced to the crowd.
The Astros, who are 3-9 on a 13-game road trip, lost their fourth straight. Houston has lost 11 of 14 to fall three games below .500 after starting 7-2.
Houston tied it at 2 in the eighth. Brad Ausmus beat the throw to first on a potential inning-ending double-play grounder to score Lance Berkman.
PHILLIES 10, GIANTS 2: Bobby Abreu homered, scored four and drove in three for host Philadelphia.
Jim Thome also homered and drove in two for the Phillies, who have won four of five. Abreu is 9-for-19 with nine RBIs and seven runs scored in his past five games.
The loss snapped the Giants' three-game winning streak, but their 18-5 start still matches their best since moving to San Francisco in 1958, tying the 1962 and 1971 teams.
ROCKIES 8, CUBS 5: Shawn Chacon pitched seven crisp innings and Chris Stynes and Jay Payton drove in two each as Colorado ended a four-game losing streak.
Every Colorado starter had a hit by the fourth and the Rockies had 17 overall to win for the ninth time in 11 home games.
Todd Helton was 3-for-5 with two doubles and is 6-for-10 in two games against the Cubs. Payton was 3-for-5 and Stynes was 3-for-3.
DODGERS 4, PIRATES 3: Shawn Green hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth to lift visiting Los Angeles.
The Dodgers, down 3-0 after four, sent Pittsburgh to its season-high fourth straight loss.
With two outs, Green lifted a 2-and-1 pitch from Scott Sauerbeck into the rightfield seats for his third home run.
BRAVES 3, BREWERS 2: Marcus Giles homered in the seventh as host Atlanta rallied.
With one out, Giles lined the first pitch from reliever Valerio De Los Santos into the seats in right-center, a 410-foot shot that gave the Braves their 10th victory in 12 games.
MARLINS 5, CARDINALS 3: Mike Lowell's homer sparked a five-run seventh as host Florida handed St. Louis its sixth loss in seven games. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa served a one-game suspension for a fight between St. Louis and Arizona last weekend.
REDS 7, PADRES 6 (10): Pinch-hitter Ruben Mateo drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th to lift host Cincinnati. The Reds tied the score at 6 with a two-run seventh, capped by Matt Herges' bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Reggie Taylor.
D'BACKS AT METS, PPD.: The rainout will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.
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