NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Expos Extend Reign Over Braves’ Glavine

Among the surprising things about the Montreal Expos this season is how well they play against the winningest pitcher in the major leagues.

For the third time in four chances, the Expos manhandled Tom Glavine of the Braves on Tuesday night at Atlanta.

Glavine, who was seeking his 14th consecutive victory, which would have made him the first pitcher to win 20 games this season, was chased in the fifth inning and the Expos beat the Braves, 6-0.

Glavine gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings and never seemed to recover after issuing a bases-loaded walk in the second inning.

While keeping the pressure on Pittsburgh in the National League East, the Expos cut the Braves’ lead in the West to 4 1/2 games.

In the three losses to the Expos, Glavine has pitched 14 2/3 innings, giving up 20 hits and 12 earned runs. The last time Glavine had lost was May 22 at Montreal, when he gave up five runs in six innings. He is 3-11 lifetime against the Expos.

Glavine has a 5.87 earned-run average against the Expos this season, 2.11 against the rest of the league.

“If I had the answer,” Glavine said, “it wouldn’t happen. I try to use the same things against them that work against everybody else.

“It seems than when I have an off-night, it’s against them. They’re a little peskier than other teams. They put the ball in play and run.”

Expo Manager Felipe Alou doesn’t have any answers, either.

“I don’t know,” he said. “We don’t talk about it. We don’t have any special strategy.”

Chris Nabholz (9-9) gave up seven hits in 7 1/3 innings to beat the Braves for the first time after three defeats.

Cincinnati 7, Philadelphia 1--It’s a tribute to the Reds that, despite having nearly everyone on the team injured this season, they still are in the race in the West.

They lost two more players in the early innings at Cincinnati, but won behind the strong pitching of Tim Belcher (11-12) to move within 4 1/2 games of the Braves.

The Reds lost infielder Darnell Coles because of a severely twisted ankle while being tagged out at the plate during the third inning. He was carried off on a stretcher. During the second inning, outfielder Glenn Braggs left because of blurred vision, attributed to an allergic reaction.

Barry Larkin and Joe Oliver homered for the Reds, who have won three in a row.

St. Louis 5, Houston 3--Although Andujar Cedeno hit for the cycle, it was not a triumphant return home after 29 days on the road for the Astros.

Cedeno, recalled from the minors earlier in the day, tripled and homered in the regulation nine innings. He doubled in the 11th, and, after the Cardinals scored twice, singled in the 13th to complete the cycle. Cedeno batted .186 in 36 games earlier in the season.

Andres Galarraga singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th. Tim Jones hit a sacrifice fly for the other run.

San Diego 7, Chicago 4--The Padres put on a power show at San Diego to end the Cubs’ five-game winning streak.

Benito Santiago hit two home runs and Fred McGriff hit his league-leading 29th as the Padres bounced back after wasting a 3-0 lead and falling behind in the seventh inning.

Santiago’s two-run homer in the seventh came after the Cubs scored four times in the top of the inning.

New York 2, San Francisco 1--Bobby Bonilla hit his fifth home run in six games and tied a team record by hitting a home run in four consecutive games for the Mets at San Francisco.

Bonilla hit his 17th homer of the season in the fourth inning against Trevor Wilson (8-13).

Sid Fernandez (11-9) pitched seven innings, giving up seven hits. He walked none and struck out four. John Franco worked the ninth for his 15th save.