NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braggs Drops Flyball and Reds Lose in 13

Glenn Braggs didn’t try to make any excuse. He simply dropped the ball.

And when he did, Mark Grace scored the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Thursday.

“I should have caught it,” Braggs said. “I thought I could catch it one-handed, but I overran it. It hit my glove and fell out. I saw it all the way.”

The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the top of the inning on Billy Hatcher’s run-scoring double.

Rick Wilkins opened the bottom of the 13th with a single and Chico Walker singled to send pinch-runner Jose Vizcaino to third. Grace hit a potential double-play comebacker to pitcher Tim Layana (0-2), who threw to second for a force, but the relay from shortstop Luis Quinones was wide and Vizcaino scored the tying run. Ryne Sandberg walked and Andre Dawson then lifted a high fly to right that Braggs dropped.

Dawson said he thought Braggs might have lost it in the sun.

“It’s a tough field to play at this time of the day in the wind and the sun,” Dawson said. “We were fortunate to score two runs in that inning. I said, ‘Oh, no, double play,’ when Grace hit his ball, but they threw it away. It’s good to come back and win one like that after we had them early.”

Heathcliff Slocumb (2-1) pitched one inning for the victory.

The victory was the fourth in the past five games for the Cubs, and the Reds lost for the 13th time in 15 games.

San Francisco 8, New York 1--Trevor Wilson gave up one run in eight innings and hit his first career homer as the Giants won at home for for their fifth consecutive victory.

It completed a three-game series sweep, the Giants’ first over New York at Candlestick Park since May 14-16, 1990.

Met starter Wally Whitehurst, trailing 3-0 before getting an out, was struck in the upper right thigh with a line drive by Kevin Mitchell and had to leave after 4 1/3 innings. He was replaced by Tim Burke. Whitehurst’s status was listed as day to day.

The loss dropped New York to six games behind Pittsburgh in the NL East. The Pirates were idle.

Whitehurst (5-7) gave up four runs on six hits in losing a third consecutive start since the Mets traded Ron Darling to open a spot in the rotation.

Wilson (6-9), who allowed six hits, got relief help in the ninth inning from Bryan Hickerson.

San Diego 6, Montreal 5--Bip Roberts’ first home run of the season, with two outs and one on in the ninth inning, lifted the Padres at San Diego

The two-run homer off reliever Barry Jones ruined Ron Darling’s bid for his 100th career victory, and first for Montreal since being acquired July 15 from the Mets for Burke.

Roberts hit a 3-and-2 pitch from Jones (3-7) over the left-field fence after fouling off five pitches with two strikes. Roberts entered the game with no homers in 294 at-bats this season.

Tim Teufel opened the ninth with a double off Scott Ruskin, who allowed one hit in 2 1/3 innings. Paul Faries pinch-ran for Teufel and went to third on Thomas Howard’s sacrifice.

When Darrin Jackson was announced as a pinch-hitter, Jones replaced Ruskin. The Padres countered with another pinch-hitter, Phil Stephenson, who bounced back to the mound for the second out. That brought up Roberts, who finished the game three for five, having also singled twice.

The victory went to Mike Maddux (4-1), who pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Greg Harris.