Winning in Chicago Suits Padres, Worrell to a ‘T’

The T-shirt was waiting for Tim Worrell after the game Saturday in Chicago.

On the front was “There’s nothing like being . . .” and on the back was “. . . the winning pitcher yesterday.”

No San Diego Padre has been able to wear it for a while.

Worrell pitched eight strong innings and Steve Finley hit a two-run homer, helping the Padres end an eight-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Cubs.

“I’ll wear it with pride,” Worrell said.

San Diego maintained a one-game lead in the National League West over the Dodgers, who defeated Atlanta, 6-2. But it’s June 16, and what’s a one-game lead with 94 games to play?

“We just needed to win anyway,” said Worrell, more concerned about ending the team’s losing streak than watching the scoreboard.

“Hopefully this is something that will help us turn the course,” Padre Manager Bruce Bochy said.

Worrell (5-1), making only his second start this season, gave up four hits in eight innings, his longest major league appearance. He was filling in for injured starter Andy Ashby, but Bochy said bringing Worrell into the starting rotation is being considered.

Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth inning for his 12th save.

With one out in the Padre sixth, Rickey Henderson hit a bloop single to shallow center over second baseman Ryne Sandberg. Finley then hit a 2-and-0 pitch into the right-field bleachers for his 10th homer.

Pittsburgh 12, Florida 8--Charlie Hayes’ bases-loaded double finished off the Pirates’ five-run second inning and Danny Darwin (5-6) pitched six-hit ball over six innings of a victory in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates pounded out seven extra-base hits and made quick work of Florida starter Pat Rapp (3-8) by taking a 7-0 lead in the second inning. They won for the seventh time in eight games.

Orlando Merced and Jay Bell had two doubles apiece for Pittsburgh, which also got a home run from Jeff King.

Houston 4, San Francisco 3--Craig Biggio hit home runs in his first two at-bats to lead the Astros at San Francisco, where Donne Wall (4-0) gave up seven hits in seven innings in the victory.

Biggio, who also had homered Friday night against the Giants, has four hits and six RBIs in his last two games.

His first-inning homer off Allen Watson (6-7) gave Houston a 2-0 lead, and he led off the third inning with his ninth homer of the season.

Montreal 6, Cincinnati 5--Shane Andrews had three hits for the second game in a row, and he drove in three runs for the Expos, who built a lead run by run, scoring once in the first inning and once in each inning from the third through the seventh at Cincinnati.

Bret Boone hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and had a two-run single in the seventh that made it 6-4, and Eddie Taubensee’s single off Omar Daal made it a one-run game in the eighth.

Mel Rojas got five outs for his ninth save, but his first since May 22.

The Expos have won four games in a row and are 23-8 against NL Central teams.

Colorado 4, Philadelphia 2--After waiting out a rain delay for nearly four hours, Armando Reynoso (4-6) held the Phillies to two runs and five hits in seven innings in Denver.

It was Reynoso’s fifth victory in a row, and he got strong support from Dante Bichette and Trenidad Hubbard, who had RBI doubles for the Rockies, winners of eight of their last 10 games.

St. Louis 4, New York 2--Rookie Alan Benes, despite giving up three more hits to Jose Vizcaino, combined with Dennis Eckersley to pitch the Cardinals to a victory in St. Louis.

Vizcaino is nine for nine lifetime against Benes (6-4), all of the hits coming this season.

Benes pitched 7 1/3 innings and gave up six hits, winning for the third time in four starts.

Eckersley pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save since coming off the disabled list Thursday.