NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Ninth-Inning Rally Soothes Cub Fans

What began as a typical baseball promotion at Wrigley Field in Chicago Saturday turned into the Randy Myers Poster Day Disaster.

After the Cub closer surrendered a game-tying, two-run single to San Francisco’s Todd Benzinger with two out in the top of the ninth inning, Cub fans littered the field with free posters of Myers.

In the bottom half of the inning, however, the Cubs gave their fans reason to cheer.

Mark Grace’s one-out single scored Jose Vizcaino to give the Cubs a 3-2 victory over the Giants, ending San Francisco’s four-game winning streak.

“I feel bad for Randy,” Grace said. “He’s allowed to blow one once in a while. The fans gave it to him today.”

Myers (2-3) got the victory despite blowing his fourth save opportunity in the last three weeks.

The Cubs were cruising to a four-hit shutout when Myers entered the game in the ninth.

Robby Thompson led off the inning with a double for his third hit of the game. After Barry Bonds walked, Myers struck out Matt Williams and got Willie McGee to bounce back to the mound, advancing the runners.

Benzinger, starting at first base in place of the injured Will Clark, then lined a two-one pitch to center to score Thompson and Bonds.

Myers struck out Kirt Manwaring to end the inning, but not before the grounds crew was summoned onto the field to clean up hundreds of promotional posters featuring the pitcher.

Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 2--Tom Glavine remained perfect in 10 career decisions at Cincinnati and Deion Sanders hit a three-run homer as the Braves earned their sixth straight victory.

Glavine (14-4) allowed three hits, two by Kevin Mitchell, in eight innings and improved to 10-0 in 11 appearances at Riverfront Stadium. He retired 13 straight batters between the fourth and eighth innings.

All the Braves’ runs came on homers--Sanders’ fifth and Ron Gant’s 30th.

Florida 8, Pittsburgh 3--Gary Sheffield hit a pair of two-run homers to lead the Marlins at Pittsburgh.

Sheffield hit both homers off Bob Walk (11-10), who lost for the fourth time in five decisions.

Sheffield narrowly missed a third home run off Blas Minor. The ball hit just below the left-field fence, and Sheffield was held to a single.

Ryan Bowen (8-11) pitched into the seventh inning and allowed one run for his fourth win in six starts. Bryan Harvey, the fourth Marlin pitcher, picked up his 36th save in 39 opportunities.

New York 9, Philadelphia 5--Tim Bogar, a late addition to the Met starting lineup, hit two home runs as the Mets ended a five-game losing streak at Philadelphia.

Bogar got the start at second base when Jeff Kent aggravated a muscle strain in his right side during batting practice. Bogar, who entered the game with only one home run this season, hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and an inside-the-park home run in the ninth.

Met starter Bobby Jones won in his major league debut, giving up five runs--only one of them earned--in six innings.

Houston 9, Colorado 0--Pete Harnisch pitched a three-hitter and struck out 12, ending the Rockies’ season-high six-game winning streak at Houston.

Harnisch (11-8) tied a career high for strikeouts. He has fanned 10 or more three times this season.

St. Louis 2, Montreal 0--Undefeated rookie Allen Watson won his fifth consecutive start and Lee Smith earned his 40th save for the Cardinals at Montreal.

Watson (6-0) gave up five hits in 7 2/3 innings.

The 22-year-old left-hander escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth by retiring pinch-hitter Sean Berry on a soft liner and getting Lou Frazier to ground into a double play.

St. Louis’ Gregg Jefferies extended his hitting streak to 14 games and raised his batting average to .342, second in the league to the Padres’ Tony Gwynn.