BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Alou’s Triple Rallies Expos Past Braves, 6-4

Moises Alou hit a two-run triple and the Montreal Expos came back to beat the Braves, 6-4, at Atlanta on Monday night for their seventh consecutive victory and a 2 1/2-game lead in the National League Eastern Division.

Pedro Martinez (8-5), celebrating his 23rd birthday, allowed four hits and four runs in six innings.

“What I think was more important was the fashion in which we won,” said John Wetteland, who got his 19th save. “It looked like we were down, but we hung tough and made things happen in the late innings. That was beautiful.”

Thanks to consecutive home runs by Ryan Klesko and Terry Pendleton, who was making his first appearance since going on the 15-day disabled list, Atlanta led, 4-3, before Alou’s game-winning triple against reliever Mark Wohlers (7-2) in the seventh inning.

It was the 11th blown save for the Braves in 34 opportunities.

Colorado 4, San Diego 3--Andres Galarraga hit his 31st home run to help the Rockies overcome an 11-strikeout performance by Andy Benes at San Diego.

Danny Sheaffer broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning by leading off with his first homer of the year against Benes (6-12). Mike Kingery added a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Kevin Ritz (4-4) won his third consecutive decision, allowing two runs and five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Bruce Ruffin, the fifth Colorado pitcher, worked 1 1/3 innings for his 16th save. Brian Johnson had a pinch-hit homer in the ninth.

Tony Gwynn went one-for-five, dropping his major league-leading average to .389.

Cincinnati 7, Houston 4--Kevin Mitchell homered twice against Greg Swindell (7-7), and Bret Boone doubled home the go-ahead runs at Cincinnati, as the Reds moved two games ahead of Houston in the Central Division.

John Smiley (11-9) gave up four runs in the first two innings before settling down to get his seventh win in his last eight starts. Jeff Bagwell drove in his major league-leading 99th run for Houston.

Philadelphia 8, Florida 1--Curt Schilling, sidelined the past two months by injuries, allowed one unearned run in five innings at Miami for his first victory since last year’s World Series.

Milt Thompson’s two-out RBI single in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie before Kevin Stocker’s bases-loaded triple ignited the Phillies’ six-run eighth.

New York 7, St. Louis 1--Rico Brogna went five-for-five with two RBIs and Bret Saberhagen picked up his fifth consecutive victory with a seven-hitter at St. Louis.

Brogna had three singles and two doubles, and Jeff Kent added two RBIs. Saberhagen (12-4) allowed a run on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Pittsburgh 6, Chicago 2--Denny Neagle ended a string of poor starts and hit his first major league home run to lead the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Neagle (9-8), who had allowed nearly a run an inning in his previous four starts, pitched five-hit ball and struck out nine in seven innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Texas 7, Minnesota 4--Jose Canseco hit his 27th home run of the season and Brian Bohanon won for the first time since July 15, 1993, for the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

In his second start of the season, Bohanon (1-0) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Canseco ended a five game hitting slump with a solo homer in the fifth inning and Rusty Greer batted in two runs with singles as the Rangers ended their four-game losing streak.

Kansas City 6, Chicago 4--Bob Hamelin hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Royals a victory at Kansas City.

Hamelin homered against Roberto Hernandez (3-4). Hipolito Pichardo (4-3) got the win despite giving up a run in the top of the 12th on Tim Raines’ two-out single.