NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Fan Loses Battle With Myers as the Cubs Win a Wild One

Randy Myers gave up a home run and then fought a fan who ran onto the field. The Chicago Cubs fell behind in the sixth, seventh, eighth, 10th and 11th innings but still managed to beat the Houston Astros.

Rarely had anyone seen anything like Chicago’s 12-11 victory Thursday in Chicago.

“That was crazy,” Houston’s Craig Biggio said. “Just when you thought you’d seen it all, along comes something like that. What a weird day.”

Appropriately enough for such a wild game, the National League wild-card playoff berth was at stake. Chicago stayed alive with its seventh consecutive victory. With three more games against Houston to close out the season, the Cubs are three games behind Colorado. The Rockies, who on Thursday lost the opener of a four-game series against San Francisco, are one game ahead of Houston.

“We’re still in the playoff hunt. That’s what’s important,” Myers said. “I defended myself, no one got hurt and we won the game. It’s over.”

Said Chicago Manager Jim Riggleman: “The game is the most unique game I’ve been involved in since I’ve been managing since 1982--even without the incident. The incident makes it that much more unique.”

The incident came in the eighth inning after Myers, who leads the league with 38 saves, gave up a two-run homer to pinch-hitter James Mouton, putting Houston ahead, 9-7.

A man identified as John Murray, a 27-year-old bond trader from Riverside, Ill., ran onto the field toward Myers.

Myers saw Murray coming and was worried that the fan might have a weapon. So Myers threw down his glove and drove Murray to the ground with a forearm. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Myers, who has martial arts training, then held Murray down near the pitcher’s mound.

Teammates Howard Johnson and Shawon Dunston raced toward the scrum. Along with security personnel, they separated Myers and Murray, who was later arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

“The guy’s lucky he’s still alive. Randy’s the wrong guy to mess with,” Johnson said. “Randy had a good lock on the guy. It was like a big shark. I had trouble getting Randy off the guy.”

Cincinnati 9, Montreal 7--Greg Harris became the first player to pitch with both hands in a game in modern major league history, working a scoreless ninth inning for the Expos in Montreal.

Harris, who had wanted to pitch ambidextrously for a decade but was forbidden by his own team, faced four batters in the ninth--two from his normal right side, two from the left.

Using a special six-finger glove, Harris became the first ambidextrous pitcher in the majors since Elton (Ice Box) Chamberlain of the Louisville Colonels of the American Assn. in 1888.

Harris, 39, first threw right-handed to right-handed-hitting Reggie Sanders, who grounded out.

“I had jelly knees. I’m still in shock,” said Harris, who was told he had to retire Sanders before he could switch to his left hand.

“All I was thinking was to get Sanders out. When he grounded out to short, I took the ball and thought, ‘Here we go.’ I think my heart stopped.”

Harris then pitched left-handed to left-handed Hal Morris and walked him. Harris then got left-handed hitting Eddie Taubensee to ground out.

Harris went back to pitching right-handed and retired Bret Boone, batting right-handed, on another grounder.

Montreal Manager Felipe Alou had said he intended to let Harris make history, “but it won’t be in a situation with the game on the line.” Harris entered with the Expos losing, 9-3.