NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Blauser Rescues Braves

Everyone, it seems, is hitting home runs this season.

Everyone except Jeff Blauser.

The Atlanta shortstop, who hit 15 home runs last season, connected for only the second time this season in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night at Atlanta, rallying the Braves to a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Braves’ fourth consecutive victory was the 1,000th for Manager Bobby Cox, who is 1,000-883, a .531 winning percentage.

The homer capped a four-hit game for Blauser, who was nonetheless perplexed.

“It’s strange. I had an awful day in the batting cage . . . . Then I hit the ball hard four times,” he said. “I can’t figure this game out and I’m about to quit trying.”

Blauser was delighted to provide Cox with his milestone win.

“That’s a heck of a milestone getting up there with guys like Sparky (Anderson), (Tony) La Russa and (Tommy) Lasorda “ Blauser said. “Bobby’s one of the elite managers in the game and this just reinforces that.”

Atlanta’s Greg Maddux (11-2) became the majors’ first 11-game winner. He struck out eight and walked none. Jeff Brantley (4-3) took the loss.

The game was the first between the Braves and Reds since the May 29 trade that sent Roberto Kelly to Atlanta for Deion Sanders. Kelly had two doubles, drove in a run and scored twice. Sanders went two for five with a stolen base and scored a run.

Philadelphia 10, Montreal 8--In a game of big hits, Mariano Duncan’s was one of the biggest.

Duncan tripled in the tying run and scored the go-ahead run on Pete Incaviglia’s single in the eighth inning at Montreal as the Phillies rallied for six runs to beat the Expos.

The Phillies beat John Wetteland (2-4) to snap Montreal’s three-game winning streak.

Paul Quantrill (2-0), acquired May 31 from Boston, pitched two innings for the victory. Doug Jones got his National League-leading 18th save.

San Francisco 6, Chicago 1--Bill Swift gave up eight hits at San Francisco but was bailed out by three double plays.

Swift (8-4) won his fifth game in six decisions, beating Jim Bullinger (3-2).

Royce Clayton went three for four and scored twice for the Giants.

It was only the Giants’ second victory in their last 11 games at Candlestick Park.

Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 4--Rookie Jon Lieber (3-2) pitched eight effective innings and Al Martin went four for five at St. Louis. Hot-hitting Pittsburgh had 16 hits off five St. Louis pitchers and has had more than 10 hits in six of its last eight games.

Bob Tewksbury (8-6) lost his fifth in a row.

San Diego 3, Houston 2--First baseman Eddie Williams hit his first major league homer in nearly four years at San Diego and Bip Roberts went two for four to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, longest in the NL this year, as the Padres snapped the Astros’ three-game winning streak.

Andy Benes (5-9) broke a personal four-game losing streak to the Astros and won his third consecutive decision.

Greg Swindell (5-4) lost his third in a row.

Florida 6, New York 5--Greg Colbrunn hit a three-run homer at Miami after an intentional walk and Kurt Abbott homered for the fourth consecutive game to help the Marlins win their fourth in a row.

Dave Weathers (7-5) beat Pete Smith (3-7).