NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braves Want a Tie for a Present, but Don’t Get It

Vinny Castilla went four for five and drove in three runs at Denver and Lance Painter won his first start of the season as the Colorado Rockies prevented Atlanta from clinching a tie for the NL East title with a 12-2 victory Tuesday night at Denver.

Castilla, who had his fifth career four-hit game and the fourth this year, also hit his 31st home run. Dante Bichette added his NL-leading 36th homer and drove in three runs.

Painter (2-0) allowed two solo home runs in five innings. Kevin Ritz pitched four perfect innings for his second save.

The Braves still have a magic number of two to clinch a fourth consecutive division title.

The game drew 48,013 as the Rockies became the first team in the majors to break the 3 million attendance mark at 3,005,842.

St. Louis 10, San Francisco 4--Ray Lankford homered for the fourth consecutive game and Bernard Gilkey had two run-scoring doubles at St. Louis.

Lankford’s 22nd home run in the first inning off Mark Leiter (9-10) extended his hitting streak to 13 games as St. Louis tied a season high with five consecutive victories. He’s one short of the team record for home runs in consecutive games, set by Jim Bottomley in 1929.

Houston 8, New York 6--Derrick May’s two-run homer in the sixth inning broke a tie at New York and Astro starter Donne Wall earned his first major league victory. Wall (1-1), making his second major league start, gave up three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

San Diego 5, Pittsburgh 1--Marc Newfield hit an RBI single and saved two runs with a diving catch in left field at Pittsburgh and Fernando Valenzuela won his third consecutive decision.

The Padres ended their four-game losing streak and won for only the second time in their last 10 road games. They handed the Pirates their sixth defeat in seven games.

Valenzuela (6-3) held Pittsburgh to five hits and a run in 5 2/3 innings.

He was helped by Newfield’s spectacular catch on Orlando Merced’s liner to end the sixth inning with runners on first and second. Newfield ran toward the left-field line and caught the ball while sliding across the wet turf.

John Ericks (3-8) lost for the sixth time in seven decisions.

Philadelphia 8, Montreal 2--Mike Williams pitched six strong innings in a rare start and Gregg Jefferies knocked in three runs at Montreal as the Phillies matched a season high with seven doubles in a 13-hit attack.

Williams (2-2), making his fifth start this season, allowed two runs on five hits in his second start since June 6. Toby Borland pitched three innings for his sixth save.

Florida 5, Cincinnati 4--Gary Sheffield’s two-run homer broke a tie in the fifth inning at Cincinnati and the Marlins won despite hitting into a triple play.

Sheffield’s homer off Tim Pugh handed Cincinnati its ninth loss in 13 games. The Reds still hold an 11-game lead over Houston in the NL Central with 18 to play.

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Wild-Card Races

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Division Leaders

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Team Division W L Cleveland* Central 88 39 Boston East 76 50 Angels West 72 56

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Wild Card

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Team W L Pct. GB New York 66 61 .520 -- Seattle 66 62 .516 1/2 Kansas City 63 62 .504 2 Texas 64 63 .504 2 Milwaukee 60 66 .476 5 1/2 Oakland 60 67 .472 6 Baltimore 59 68 .465 7 Chicago 58 68 .460 7 1/2

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

Division Leaders

*--*

Team Division W L Atlanta East 80 48 Cincinnati Central 76 50 Colorado West 68 58

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Wild Card

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Team W L Pct. GB Dodgers 68 60 .528 -- Houston 65 61 .516 2 Philadelphia 64 63 .504 3 1/2 Chicago 62 64 .492 5 San Diego 61 65 .480 6 San Francisco 61 66 .480 6 1/2 Montreal 60 67 .472 7 1/2

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* Clinched division title