NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McGriff, Plantier Power Padres Past Braves, 12-4

Fred McGriff and Phil Plantier hit two-run homers and the San Diego Padres scored seven more runs in the fourth inning and defeated the Atlanta Braves, 12-4, Thursday at Atlanta.

The seven runs in one inning and the total were season-highs for the Padres, who gained a split in the four-game series.

McGriff’s 11th homer of the year, which followed a two-out single by Gary Sheffield, gave the Padres a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Pete Smith (2-5).

Plantier hit his seventh homer of the season in the third after a two-out walk to McGriff.

The Padres then sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth, getting five hits and three walks against relievers Marvin Freeman and Kent Mercker, who had two wild pitches that let in two runs.

The big inning featured a run-scoring double by Tony Gwynn, run-scoring singles by Sheffield and Kevin Higgins, a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Craig Shipley and a run-scoring groundout by pitcher Greg Harris (6-6).

“I knew I had to try to get one home run before I left here,” McGriff said. “You get to the point where people expect it out of you. If I don’t hit one, I catch heat.”

The early homers helped Harris survive an early struggle, and the big inning enabled him to coast to his fifth victory in his last six decisions.

Harris also had a double and single. He gave up three runs--two earned--and five hits, walked three and struck out two in seven innings.

Montreal 7, Chicago 1--Moises Alou, mired in a 5-for-50 slump, hit a three-run homer and Dennis Martinez pitched a five-hitter for the Expos at Montreal.

Despite pain in his rib cage, Martinez (4-5) struck out a season-high six batters and got his 197th career victory.

Loser Mike Morgan (3-7) gave up six runs and seven hits.

St. Louis 9, Cincinnati 2--Hector Villanueva homered and drove in five runs and Paul Kilgus won for the first time since 1989.

Villanueva hit a run-scoring single in the sixth, a two-run homer in the eighth and a two-run double in the ninth.

The Cardinals, who had 17 hits, scored three runs in the sixth off Tim Pugh (3-6), who has lost five of his last six outings. Kilgus (1-0) won for the first time since July 25, 1989.

Pittsburgh 2, San Francisco 1--Hot-hitting Orlando Merced had three hits and an RBI to lead the Pirates at San Francisco.

Merced, whose ninth-inning double drove in the go-ahead run in Pittsburgh’s 5-3 victory over Colorado on Wednesday, has seven hits in his last 16 at-bats.

Pirate starter Denny Neagle (1-1), making his first start in a year, limited the Giants to one hit in five innings.