NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Greg Maddux Beats Giants for Ninth Win

Greg Maddux became the major leagues’ first nine-game winner Wednesday night, scattering six hits in eight innings as the Atlanta Braves held off the San Francisco Giants, 1-0, to complete a three-game sweep at San Francisco.

Maddux (9-2) got his fifth consecutive victory and sent the Giants to their 10th loss in 14 games. He wasn’t in top form, walking six, but Maddux struck out eight and twice worked out of bases-loaded jams.

With the Braves holding a 1-0 lead, Maddux retired the first two batters in the sixth, then got into trouble. Todd Benzinger walked, Royce Clayton singled and Jeff Reed walked to load the bases.

Maddux fell behind 3-0 to Dave Martinez, pinch-hitting for pitcher Salomon Torres, but came back to strike him out.

The Giants, who stranded 14 runners, loaded the bases again in the eighth with one out, but Maddux got Jeff Reed to hit a shallow popup, then got pinch-hitter J.R. Phillips on a fly ball.

Greg McMichael pitched the ninth for his 11th save. The Giants put a runner on second with one out, but Matt Williams struck out.

McMichael intentionally walked Barry Bonds after going to a 2-1 count, and struck out Willie McGee to end the game.

San Diego 6, Pittsburgh 4--Bip Roberts tied a career high with four hits as the the Padres won their sixth straight game by defeating the Pirates at San Diego. Pittsburgh has lost four games in a row.

In Roberts’ last 15 games since missing two games because of sinusitis, he has reached base 36 times in 66 plate appearance. He’s 22 for 51 (.431) in that span.

Roberts tied the score with a double in the sixth, his third hit of the day. He then scored to give the Padres a 5-4 lead on Craig Shipley’s triple that barely eluded center fielder Andy Van Slyke.

Montreal 10, Cincinnati 9--Marquis Grissom’s two-run single completed a five-run eighth inning that carried the Expos to a win at Cincinnati.

The Reds wasted their first big game from Deion Sanders, who singled, doubled and tripled, drove in a run and scored twice to help build a 5-3 lead after six innings.

But the bullpen had a rare late-inning failure--the Reds had been 21-0 when leading after the sixth. The Expos sent eight batters to the plate in an eighth inning highlighted by five singles, a walk and a costly error by left fielder Kevin Mitchell.

Florida 3, Houston 2--Jeff Conine hit a two-run double during a three-run fifth inning as the Marlins beat the Astros at Houston.

The Marlins won for only the second time in eight games. The Astros lost for the second time in seven games.

Colorado 4, New York 3--Mike Kingery’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning scored Dante Bichette with the go-ahead run as the Rockets swept a three-games series at New York.

Met center fielder Ryan Thompson, who caught Kingery’s fly, and third baseman Bobby Bonilla had a near-fight when they returned to dugout, apparently because Bonilla objected to Thompson’s conduct on the play.

Bichette opened the sixth with a single and Charlie Hayes followed with a single to center. Bichette rounded second and stopped, seemingly daring Thompson to try to throw him out at third. When Thompson did not and Bichette took third easily, Bonilla pointed his glove twice in Thompson’s direction.

Joe Girardi then lined out to second, but Kingery hit his fly ball to center and Bichette came home with the go-ahead run.

Philadelphia 4, Chicago 2--Phillie pitcher Shawn Boskie, acquired from the Cubs in April, gave up two hits over seven innings and Pete Incaviglia homered at Chicago.

Boskie (2-2) gave up a leadoff single by Ryne Sandberg in the fourth inning and a homer by Sandberg in the seventh for the Cubs’ only hits.