NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braves Overcome 8-1 Deficit, Win in 15th

The Atlanta Braves overcame a seven-run deficit in the ninth inning, then defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-8, Tuesday night at Atlanta when pitcher Mike Stanton bunted over the head of third baseman Tom Quinlan in the 15th inning.

Stanton (1-0), Atlanta’s seventh pitcher, went two for two and gave up three hits in four scoreless innings, a career high.

The only Braves who didn’t play were pitchers Greg Maddux, Steve Avery and John Smoltz.

With two outs in the 15th, Deion Sanders doubled against Andy Carter (0-1), who entered to start the inning. Dave Gallagher was intentionally walked and Sanders stole third. Stanton then popped a bunt over Quinlan’s head, making him six for 10 in his career.

With Philadelphia leading, 8-1, behind Pete Incaviglia’s sixth career grand slam, the Braves scored seven runs in the ninth inning.

The key hits were a two-run single by Charlie O’Brien and a three-run homer by Mike Mordecai, in his second major league at-bat.

Florida 1, Pittsburgh 0--Chris Hammond gave up two hits in eight innings against the Pirates at Miami.

Hammond (3-3) gave up singles by Al Martin in the first and Lance Parrish in the eighth. Jeremy Hernandez pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Hammond, whose 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies last Thursday was his first career shutout, retired 13 batters on flyouts, struck out six and walked two.

The 28-year-old left-hander lowered his earned-run average to 2.05, second-best in the National League.

The combined two-hitter was a franchise best for the Marlins.

Matias Carrillo, replacing injured right fielder Gary Sheffield, drove in Florida’s run in the fourth with a one-out single.

Cincinnati 5, San Diego 0--Kevin Mitchell hit his 199th homer and Brian Dorsett also homered to back Jose Rijo at San Diego.

After being razzed by a fan behind first base in the top of the fourth inning, Reds third baseman Tony Fernandez threw a warmup throw over first baseman Hal Morris’ head and into the crowd. After the game, he went over to that section and signed autographs for several minutes. Fernandez and manager Davey Johnson said the throw was unintentional.

Rijo (2-2), winning for the first time in four starts, retired 16 consecutive batters untilBrad Ausmus singled to deep shortstop with two out in the seventh.

St. Louis 7, Chicago 6--The Cardinals won on Ray Lankford’s 11th-inning home run againstJose Bautista after squandering a six-run lead at St. Louis.

Lankford hit his eighth home run with one out, stopping the Cardinals’ three-game losing streak.

Todd Zeile added a three-run homer in the first for the Cardinals, who broke out of an offensive slump and won for only the second time in six games of an eight-game home stand.

In their previous five games, the Cardinals totaled nine runs and 28 hits and lost four times.

New York 3, Montreal 2--Joe Orsulak homered against John Wetteland in the 10th inning as the Mets rallied at Montreal for their sixth victory in seven games.

Orsulak, who went four for five, connected against John Wetteland (1-2) for his fourth homer.

New York tied the score in the ninth against Wetteland, who blew a save for the fourth time in five chances. David Segui singled, pinch-hitter Jeff McKnight walked and John Cangelosi singled off the first-base bag for his fourth hit of the game, matching a career high.

Doug Linton (4-0) pitched two innings as the the Mets won their fourth in a row.

Colorado 4, San Francisco 2--Greg Harris gave up three hits in 8 1/3 innings and Howard Johnson homered for the Rockies at San Francisco.

Johnson, out of the starting lineup the previous two games because of a hitting slump, hit a two-out solo homer against John Burkett (3-3) in the first inning. It was his fourth of the season.