NL: Guillen still bugging Pirates

PITTSBURGH - The Pirates could not wait to see Jose Guillen leave Pittsburgh in 2000. Five years later, they feel much the same way.

Brian Schneider's softly hit go-ahead single in the eighth inning traveled barely 150 feet in a game featuring mostly long home runs, two by Guillen, and the Washington Nationals came back after squandering an early lead to beat the Pirates 5-4 Wednesday.

Guillen's second two-homer game in three days came as the teams combined for five homers in the first three innings, helping Pittsburgh take a 4-2 lead that Josh Fogg couldn't hold.

Guillen, a former Pirates player cast off to the Devil Rays in a seemingly minor deal in 2000, went 8-for-14 with four homers, a double and six RBIs as Washington took two of three. He has four multihomer games this season and eight in his career.

Despite driving in 84 runs during a promising rookie season in 1997, Guillen was dealt after the Pirates wearied of his frequent bouts with immaturity and a sometimes casual approach to conditioning. Still, Pittsburgh remains one of Guillen's favorite stops in the majors.

"I like to come here and play; it's always going to be a place where I like to come," Guillen said. "And I got some good pitches to hit."

As far as Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon is concerned, far too many.

"Knowing the young man as we do, knowing his strengths and weaknesses, it's really shameful we let him go out and dominate us ... we should be ashamed," McClendon said.

There was plenty of blame to go around in the Pirates' eighth loss in 10 games, especially after a botched pickoff of Guillen allowed Washington to tie it at 4 in the fifth.

Jamey Carroll was hit by Fogg's pitch and moved to third on Guillen's single. Fogg appeared to pick Guillen off first, but Guillen stayed in a rundown long enough for Carroll to score.

"It's one of those plays you practice 100 times in spring training," Fogg said. "It was a big run."

When shortstop Jack Wilson flipped the ball to first baseman Daryle Ward, Carroll gambled and took off.

"We talked about it the other day, that he's a left-handed first baseman and he's going to have to take the ball, turn, pivot and set his feet to throw," Carroll said. "I took a chance because I knew he had to spin and it would be a tough throw for him."

BRAVES 8, MARLINS 0: Andruw Jones continued his home run tear with a two-run shot into the upper deck, and host Atlanta rolled.

Jones' homer, his league-leading 21st, gave the Braves a 4-0 lead in the fifth. The shot off Brian Moehler traveled an estimated 432 feet to leftfield.

Jones has nine homers in the past 11 games, a streak that began with a two-homer game June 11 against Oakland.

GIANTS 4, D'BACKS 0: Jason Schmidt pitched eight dominant innings to win consecutive starts for the second time this season for host San Francisco. Ray Durham moved back to the leadoff spot and had a run-scoring single and a run, and Moises Alou had three hits, an RBI and a run as the Giants won for the second time in five games.

REDS 7, CARDINALS 6: Adam Dunn led off two straight innings with home runs and host Cincinnati overpowered slumping Mark Mulder before holding on. Dunn tied for the league lead with his 19th and 20th home runs to help the Reds improve to 2-0 under interim manager Jerry Narron, who was promoted from bench coach Tuesday to replace the fired Dave Miley.

PHILLIES 8, METS 4: Chase Utley had three hits, including a go-ahead single in a six-run seventh for host Philadelphia, which won for the third time in eight games. Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza homered for the Mets, who have lost 10 of 13.

BREWERS 9, CUBS 4: Carlos Lee hit two home runs, a three-run shot during an eight-run second and his 19th homer in the seventh, to lead host Milwaukee. The Brewers sent 12 men to the plate in the second and knocked out Carlos Zambrano, who has one win in his past eight starts.

ASTROS 6, ROCKIES 2: Roger Clemens pitched seven strong innings for his 334th win, Morgan Ensberg hit a three-run homer and host Houston completed a three-game sweep. Clemens improved his major league-best ERA to 1.51 and won a third straight decision for the first time this season.

DODGERS 6, PADRES 4: Jayson Werth had a tying homer among his three hits, and Olmedo Saenz had three hits and scored three runs as Los Angeles snaped its season-high eight-game losing streak.

[Last modified June 23, 2005, 07:51:03]