NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Astros Slowed by Three-Run Homer by Cubs, Error

Dave Magadan’s second error of the game with two outs in the sixth inning set up Scott Servais’ three-run homer that helped the Chicago Cubs to a 7-6 victory over the Houston Astros at the Astrodome on Tuesday night.

The Cubs ended their three-game losing streak as well as the Astros’ four-game winning streak. Houston remained one game behind the Dodgers, who lost, 7-2, to San Francisco, in the National League wild-card race.

Magadan bobbled Shawon Dunston’s grounder for an error that allowed Dunston to reach base and advanced Sammy Sosa to second.

Ozzie Timmons, who hit a solo homer in the fourth for the Cubs’ first run, followed with an RBI single, scoring Sosa. Servais then hit Mike Hampton’s first pitch for his 12th homer and a 5-3 lead.

Montreal 4, Cincinnati 1--Wil Cordero made up for a baserunning lapse by singling home one run and scoring another to lead the Expos over the struggling Reds at Cincinnati.

The Reds have lost eight of 12, prolonging the NL Central race. Their clinching number dropped to two, though, as Chicago beat Houston.

Kirk Rueter (3-3) held the Reds to four hits over six shutout innings and Mel Rojas pitched a scoreless ninth for his 28th save, as Montreal ended a four-game losing streak.

Pittsburgh 12, St. Louis 1--Al Martin had four hits, including a three-run homer in an eight-run fifth inning, to lead the Pirates to victory at home. Orlando Merced also had four hits for the Pirates, who won for the third time in four games.

Alan Benes (0-1) was pounded for seven runs and eight hits in four-plus innings in his major league debut. He gave up consecutive home runs to Jay Bell and Carlos Garcia in the fourth and left the game after putting the first four batters on base in the fifth with three hits and a walk.

New York 10, Atlanta 3--Jeff Kent drove in four runs to lead the Mets, ending Atlanta’s five-game winning streak at Atlanta.

It was the sixth victory in seven games for the Mets, who scored four runs in both the third and seventh innings.

Dave Mlicki (9-6) lost a bid for his first major league shutout when Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer, his 22nd, in the eighth. Mlicki gave up nine hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven-plus innings.

Florida 5, Philadelphia 4--Greg Colbrunn’s two-run homer with one out in the ninth capped a four-run rally for the Marlins at Philadelphia.