NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Rookie Keeps Astros in Wild-Card Chase

Rookie Donne Wall, working at his usual fast pace, worked wonders again for the Houston Astros.

Wall won his third consecutive game and Dave Magadan drove in two runs Saturday night, helping Houston beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-3, and keep the Astros 1 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the National League wild-card race.

Wall (3-1) allowed consecutive singles in each of the first two innings, then retired 12 batters in a row from the second through the fifth innings.

“He changed speeds and kept the ball down,” Astro Manager Terry Collins said. “When he does that, he gets ground balls and gives us a chance.”

Mark Petkovsek (6-6), Wall’s former minor league teammate, took the loss.

Philadelphia 3, Cincinnati 2--Mark Whiten tied the score with a two-out solo homer in the ninth and won it in the 13th when Xavier Hernandez (7-2) walked him on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded at Philadelphia.

Rookie Chuck Ricci (1-0) pitched the 13th inning and got his first major league victory. Pete Schourek, however, lost the chance to become the league’s second 18-game winner when Jeff Brantley blew his fourth save of the year in surrendering Whiten’s tying homer.

Montreal 5, Atlanta 2--Rondell White broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run off Greg McMichael (7-2) in a two-run eighth inning at Atlanta, helping send the Expos to only their fourth victory in 11 games.

Pedro Martinez (14-8) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. Mel Rojas pitched the ninth for his 29th save.

Florida 4, New York 3--Gary Sheffield hit his 10th homer of the month, a solo shot with two out in the seventh inning, that helped the Marlins win at Miami.

One pitch before his homer, Sheffield hit a ball over the fence that just hooked foul. He then homered on a hanging breaking ball from Bobby Jones (9-10), tying his own club record for most homers in a month.

Chris Hammond (8-6) get his first victory since July 28.

Chicago 8, Pittsburgh 5--Jose Hernandez hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and Mark Grace added a two-run single to lead the Cubs at Chicago.

Jim Bullinger (12-8) won for only the second time in his last eight starts. Randy Myers relieved with two on and none out in the ninth and finished for his 36th save in 42 chances despite a bases-loaded walk to Jay Bell. Mike Dyer (4-5) took the loss.