NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Quantrill, Slocumb Star as Hot Streak Continues for Phillies, 5-2

The Philadelphia Phillies are sending a message to the rest of the National League, even though they refuse to put it in words.

“Let’s just say our record speaks for itself,” reliever Heathcliff Slocumb said after the Phillies defeated the Houston Astros, 5-2, Sunday at Houston for their 10th victory in 11 games.

Paul Quantrill pitched seven strong innings before tiring and Slocumb got his eighth save as the Phillies completed a three-game sweep. Philadelphia has not lost two in a row this season, and is 13-4 overall and 10-2 on the road. Both marks lead the majors.

Quantrill (3-0) gave up five hits in 7 1/3 innings, walked none and struck out four. He retired 18 consecutive batters between the second and eighth innings.

“I had better stuff in my first game, but I think I pitched my best game today,” he said.

Quantrill left after consecutive singles by Tony Eusebio and Andy Stankiewicz and a run-scoring double by pinch-hitter Milt Thompson. A wild pitch by Norm Charlton allowed another run to score.

The Astros are 1-5 at home and have averaged 2.2 runs per game in the Astrodome.

San Francisco 2, Pittsburgh 1--Darren Lewis singled home the winning run with two outs in the 10th inning at San Francisco.

Royce Clayton opened the 10th with a single off Dan Miceli (0-1), took second on a sacrifice and moved to third on a wild pitch. Mark Carreon then struck out.

Todd Benzinger, who began the game batting .111 and singled as a pinch-hitter in his only at-bat of the afternoon, was intentionally walked. Lewis, batting .266, blooped the winning single to center field.

Rod Beck (1-1), the fourth Giant pitcher, struck out the only two batters he faced in the 10th.

San Diego 9, Chicago 7--Pinch-hitter Brian Johnson hit a grand slam off Randy Myers with two outs in the eighth inning at Chicago, giving the Padres their first road victory of the season.

Andujar Cedeno hit a pair of two-run home runs for the Padres, who at 0-5 were the only team in the majors that was winless on the road.

Sammy Sosa homered twice and drove in four runs for the Cubs. He hit the 100th home run of his career, a solo shot, in the ninth.

Cincinnati 5, Atlanta 3--Ron Gant hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning at Atlanta to beat his former teammates for the second time in three days.

On Friday night, Gant hit a solo homer in the 11th in his first appearance against the Braves since they released him before the start of the 1994 season because of a broken right leg sustained in a dirt-bike accident.

This time, he hit his sixth homer of the season after Barry Larkin started the 10th with a single off Brad Clontz (0-2).

Larkin doubled, singled and stole three bases, tying his career high. The Reds won for the seventh time in eight games and earned their third extra-inning victory in four days.

Hector Carrasco (1-3) was the winner.

Colorado 6, Florida 3--Vinny Castilla homered and Dante Bichette doubled twice at Miami.

Kevin Ritz (2-0) won his second game in a row, shutting out Florida for five innings before being knocked out in the sixth. He allowed five hits and three runs.

Florida left the bases loaded in the sixth and eighth innings. Darren Holmes retired Jerry Browne on a foul pop to end the eighth, and Bruce Ruffin pitched a one-hit ninth for his fifth save.

Florida, which ended a six-game losing streak Saturday against Colorado, has lost 11 of its past 12 home games.

Montreal 3, New York 2--Mark Grudzielanek’s infield out scored Mike Lansing from third base in the 13th inning as the Expos extended their win streak to four in a 4 1/2-hour game at New York.

Ugueth Urbina (1-0), in only his second major league appearance, pitched a scoreless 12th inning to earn the victory. Mel Rojas, the seventh pitcher used by the Expos, pitched the 13th for his fifth save.