Mora upstages 500-homer trio

By wire services
Published June 11, 2005

CINCINNATI - Melvin Mora hit a three-run homer, outshining one of baseball's greatest collections of power hitters and leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 victory Friday night over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Orioles are visiting Cincinnati for the first time since the 1970 World Series, which third baseman Brooks Robinson turned into his showcase. Baltimore won the series, 4-1.

The focus was on the long ball, not leather, in their return.

The interleague matchup marked the first time that three 500-homer players appeared in the same game - Sammy Sosa (580), Rafael Palmeiro (559) and Ken Griffey Jr., who hit a solo shot in the eighth for No. 511.

The trio went 3-for-11, with Griffey providing the only hit of any note. Sosa struck out in his three at-bats.

Mora made the difference with his 89th career homer, a shot off Aaron Harang (4-4) that put the Orioles ahead to stay in the third. Mora also doubled and scored in the eighth.

ANGELS 12, METS 2: Steve Finley and Darin Erstad each homered to help Bartolo Colon win his fourth straight decision for visiting Angels.

Erstad's home run was followed by bloop singles from Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson. A sacrifice and a strikeout later, Finley hit a three-run shot to right-center and Mike DeJean relieved Ishii.

Finley, who went 3-for-4, has 15 RBIs in his past 13 games, while Erstad's homer in the sixth extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Orlando Cabrera added a three-run shot in the ninth.

ROCKIES 2, TIGERS 0: Jamey Wright pitched six-hit ball into the eighth and Garrett Atkins hit a two-run homer to help host Colorado win what matched the lowest-scoring game in Coors Field's istory.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Atkins lifted a flat breaking ball by Mike Maroth over the wall in right-center for a two-run homer.

Wright didn't give the Tigers many chances, getting 11 outs on groundballs and allowing one runner past second base.

ASTROS 4, BLUE JAYS 2: Willy Taveras, Morgan Ensberg and Jason Lane homered and Wandy Rodriguez pitched out of several jams over six-plus shaky innings, and host Houston beat the Toronto in the first game between the franchises.

Rodriguez singled in the second, the first RBI hit of his career, as Houston went up 2-1. Lane hit Toronto starter Ted Lilly's second pitch of the fourth inning for his seventh homer.

Ensberg homered off Lilly on the second pitch of the sixth inning.

NATIONALS 9, MARINERS 3: Brian Schneider hit a go-ahead two-run single, and host Washington took advantage of five walks in the eighth inning to break open a tie game.

The game went to the bottom of the eighth at 3-all, but the Nationals sent 11 men to the plate and managed to score six runs with the benefit of just three singles.

Bobby Crosby also hit a two-run homer .

Danny Haren won his third straight decision, giving up six hits and four runs in 6 2-3 innings. Haren also drove in two runs for his first RBIs since 2003.

CARDINALS 7, YANKEES 1: St. Louis began its second straight high-profile interleague series with a strong start from Jason Marquis and a big game from Albert Pujols to win.

Marquis allowed a run and six hits in eight innings and Pujols singled, doubled and homered for St. Louis, which took two of three from the Boston Red Sox in a World Series rematch that concluded Wednesday.

Derek Jeter's 1,800th career hit, an RBI double in the fifth, was the lone highlight for the Yankees.

MARLINS 12, RANGERS 5: Reliever Doug Brocail walked Luis Castillo on four pitches to force in the go-ahead run and Mike Lowell hit a grand slam one out later to highlight host Florida's seven-run eighth inning.

Paul Lo Duca, Miguel Cabrera and Alex Gonzalez each had two RBIs for the Marlins, who entered having lost 12 of 15 but won for the second time in three games.

After Cabrera singled in pinch-hitter Lenny Harris for the Marlins in the eighth, Brian Shouse relieved and struck out Carlos Delgado before surrendering Lowell's fourth career grand slam. WHITE SOX 4, PADRES 2: Jon Garland pitched seven strong innings for visiting Chicago to join Dontrelle Willis as the only 10-game winners in the major leagues.

Garland also got his first career RBI with a single to right field in a two-run second. Dustin Hermanson, who was with the Padres from 1995-96, allowed a run on Brian Giles' RBI groundout in the ninth but recorded his 15th save in as many chances.

INDIANS 10, GIANTS 2: C.C. Sabathia allowed five hits in eight innings and also hit a two-run double to lead visiting Cleveland. He held the struggling Giants to two runs and delivered a big hit off Brett Tomko to give the Indians a 5-2 lead in the seventh.

PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 2: David Bell's three-run homer with one out in the ninth inning led surging Philadelphia to its 13th win in 15 games.

Jim Thome added a two-run homer for the host Phillies, who are a season-best six games over .500.

Jeff Cirillo homered for Milwaukee, which has lost nine of 13.

Brett Myers pitched eight strong innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. He struck out six and walked none.

[Last modified June 11, 2005, 01:14:05]