NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braves Finally Find Winning Solution at Home

It was only three games. It seemed like forever.

The Atlanta Braves were 0-for-1991 at home until Terry Pendleton’s three-run double triggered a seven-run eighth inning Tuesday night in Atlanta. That was good for a 10-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

“Getting that first win at home made the long ramp up to the clubhouse a good one,” said Pendleton, who did not start because of a hamstring injury. He was inserted as a pinch hitter in the seventh and singled in a two-run inning that got Atlanta within 4-3.

“It was a big hit for all of us, not just for me,” said Pendleton as the Braves came from behind.

“We needed an inning like that to bust loose and get a win at home,” said Cox. “We really needed to win one here.”

Trailing 4-3 entering the eighth, the Braves tied it on Jeff Blauser’s infield single. Pendleton’s hit to left-center off reliever Curt Schilling scored Greg Olson, who had singled, Blauser and Deion Sanders, who had walked. Ron Gant, in a 2-for-20 slump to open the season, doubled home Pendleton. David Justice was walked intentionally and Sid Bream doubled home both runners.

“It was just one of those innings,” said Houston manager Art Howe. “We couldn’t make a pitch or a play when we had to.”

Reliever Xavier Hernandez (0-1) was the loser, facing three hitters in the inning and failing to retire any. Doug Sisk (1-0) picked up the victory with one scoreless inning of relief. It was Sisk’s first win since June 7, 1988 with the Baltimore Orioles.

Rookie Jeff Bagwell’s two-run homer for the second consecutive night had given the Astros a 4-3 lead. Bagwell, who won Monday night’s game in the ninth inning with a two-run homer, his first in the majors, connected in the fourth off Charlie Leibrandt.

The Astros had five straight hits off Leibrandt in the inning. They added another run when Mark Davidson followed the homer with a single, took second on Sanders’ error and Casey Candaele, who had three hits, drove home Davidson with a double.

Houston scored again in the seventh on an RBI single by Craig Biggio, who extended his hitting streak to seven games.

The Braves got within 4-3 in the seventh on RBI singles by Sanders and Pendleton. But reliever Dwayne Henry got out of a bases-loaded jam as Bream popped to the catcher.

The Braves scored their first run off starter Pete Harnisch in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Sanders, his first National League RBI. Sanders drove in Mike Heath, who earlier hit into a triple play.

The Astros pulled off the triple play after Bream and Mark Lemke singled, putting runners at first and second. Heath grounded to third baseman Ken Caminiti, who stepped on third and threw to Candaele at second for the force out. His relay to first got Heath by a step.