Davis, Reds Continue Padres’ Woes

Eric Davis, who came off the disabled list earlier in the day, scored the go-ahead run in a four-run eighth inning on a wild pitch by Doug Bochtler, and the Cincinnati Reds defeated the slumping San Diego Padres, 6-3, Monday night at San Diego.

The Reds’ rally was aided by two wild pitches and three walks by Bochtler (0-2). Thomas Howard had a two-run single, and another run scored on Eddie Taubensee’s infield hit.

Lee Smith (1-1) got the victory despite facing only one batter, getting Tony Gwynn to fly out with the bases loaded in the seventh and the Padres leading, 3-2. It was Smith’s first victory since being acquired in a trade from the Angels on May 27.

The Padres have lost four consecutive and seven of eight, losing three games off their NL West lead in three days.

Barry Larkin singled leading off the eighth and stole second. Bochtler’s full-count pitch to Davis was in the dirt, moving Larkin to third, and he scored on Taubensee’s single that first baseman Archi Cianfrocco knocked down but couldn’t make a play on.

Bret Boone’s sacrifice moved up the runners, and Willie Greene was intentionally walked. Bochtler’s 0-1 pitch to Chad Mottola was in the dirt, scoring Davis.

San Diego’s bullpen couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead that would have given Tim Worrell a victory in his first start in nearly two years.

Houston 10, Colorado 9--Sean Berry homered and drove in three runs to support Donne Wall as the Astros won at Denver.

Wall (3-0) gave up five runs on eight hits with no walks in eight innings to contain a Colorado team that scored 49 runs in its previous four games. The Rockies scored four runs with two outs in the ninth, but the rally fell one run short with the bases loaded.

Berry and Derek Bell both finished with three hits, with both needing a triple to complete the cycle. Bell scored three runs.

After a tough 4-1 loss to Houston last week, Colorado starter Armando Reynoso was again victimized by Wall’s strong outing. Reynoso (3-6) gave up seven hits and three earned runs.

Florida 5, Montreal 2--Devon White singled in the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning and Greg Colbrunn homered and drove in three runs, lifting the Marlins over the Expos at Montreal.

With the game tied, 1-1, Ralph Milliard drew a leadoff walk from Mike Dyer (3-2) in the ninth and moved to third on a single by Alex Arias. After Mel Rojas relieved, White singled to right to make it 2-1.

Rookie Edgar Renteria followed with his career-high fourth hit, a run-scoring single to left, giving the Marlins a 3-1 lead.

After Gary Sheffield walked to load the bases and chase Rojas, Colbrunn greeted reliever Barry Manuel with a two-run single for a 5-1 lead.

New York 8, Atlanta 3--Todd Hundley homered from both sides of the plate, singled twice and batted in five runs as the Mets won at New York.

Hundley, who hit his first homer right-handed and his second left-handed, boosted his season total to 16, tying his career high set in 1994.

The game was marred by a bench-clearing incident in the top of the fifth inning. Losing pitcher Steve Avery (6-5) and Hundley exchanged words after second baseman Jose Vizcaino was hit on the right kneecap by the Atlanta pitcher.

Players from both dugouts and bullpens came charging to home plate, but the incident was broken up quickly and there were no ejections.

Chicago 2, Philadelphia 1--Doug Glanville and Terry Shumpert got their first NL runs batted in and Jaime Navarro pitched a three-hitter, leading the Cubs at Philadelphia.

Recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Shumpert snapped a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a sacrifice fly that scored Brian McRae, who had singled, moved to second on a sacrifice and to third on a wild pitch by Terry Mulholland (5-5).

Glanville got his first major-league RBI in the third after McRae kept the inning alive by beating out an infield single with two outs. McRae’s single put runners on first and third, and Glanville singled home the game’s first run.

Pittsburgh 5, San Francisco 4--Jason Kendall singled home the winning run in the eighth inning as the Pirates defeated the Giants at San Francisco for their eighth victory in nine games.

With the score tied, 4-4, Orlando Merced drew a leadoff walk in the eighth off Rich DeLucia (2-2) and went to second on a wild pitch. DeLucia got two outs before Kendall blooped a hit over the head of shortstop Shawon Dunston to score the game-winner.

Trailing, 4-3, the Giants moved in front in the fifth when Dunston hit a two-run single off Esteban Loaiza, who was making his first start of the season.