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NL: D'backs go 12 for 12th straight

Associated Press
Published July 1, 2003

DENVER - Luis Gonzalez led the Arizona Diamondbacks to their 12th straight win with two homers and five RBIs, including a three-run shot in the 12th for an 8-7 victory over the Rockies on Monday night.

Arizona's streak is a franchise record and the longest in the majors this season.

Matt Kata tied a club record with five hits, the last a run-scoring double in the 12th that put Arizona ahead 5-4. He also homered.

Pinch-hitter Chris Stynes hit a three-run homer with two outs in the Colorado 12th.

With one out in the Arizona 12th, David Dellucci walked, stole second and scored on Kata's double past diving first baseman Todd Helton. Carlos Baerga singled and, with two outs, Gonzalez hit his 17th homer.

Larry Walker got the Rockies' first hit, leading off the fifth with a liner off first baseman Baerga's glove that started a three-run outburst. Jay Payton reached on an error and Greg Norton followed with a high-hop run-scoring single.

Charles Johnson added a run-scoring double into the leftfield corner. Norton scored on Juan Uribe's groundout.

Arizona countered with three runs in the sixth. Kata led off with a homer, his third. With one out Alex Cintron had an infield single and Gonzalez hit a two-run homer.

Helton made it 4-3, leading off the Rockies half with a 422-foot homer to center. It was his 14th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and it extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games.

The Diamondbacks tied it in the seventh. With two outs, Kata singled off Brian Fuentes and Baerga hit a run-scoring double off the wall in right-center.

PHILLIES 4, CUBS 3: Jim Thome's two-run homer in the seventh led host Philadelphia to its sixth straight win.

Vicente Padilla pitched seven strong innings as the Phillies won for the 11th time in 13 games to close within 51/2 of first-place Atlanta in the East. They were 10 behind the Braves on June 18.

Leading 3-2 in the seventh, Cubs starter Shawn Estes retired the first two before Jimmy Rollins singled. Thome then lined a 3-and-0 pitch deep into the left-centerfield seats for his 21st homer and third in three games.

"I was thinking he didn't want to walk me to put the tying run on second, and fortunately I got something to hit," Thome said. "I was looking to hit something in the gap to left-center."

MARLINS 8, BRAVES 1: Mark Redman pitched a five-hitter and host Florida roughed up Greg Maddux.

Ivan Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the first off Maddux, and Derrek Lee connected in the third.

Redman settled down after giving up a run in the first, retiring 18 of 19 until Julio Franco singled in the seventh. He pitched his second complete game of the season and improved his ERA to 2.78.

GIANTS 5, CARDINALS 1: Jason Schmidt pitched his third consecutive complete game, holding host St. Louis to seven hits.

Marquis Grissom doubled twice with an RBI and Edgardo Alfonzo had three hits for the West leaders, who have won six of nine. It was the first meeting this season between the teams that played in the 2002 NLCS.

METS 3, EXPOS 1: Steve Trachsel pitched seven sharp innings and Ty Wigginton hit a two-run double as host New York snapped a five-game losing streak. Cliff Floyd added a run-scoring single for the Mets.

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