Expos Beat Astros to the Punch

Houston Manager Terry Collins needed four stitches to close a bloody gash, the result of a bench-clearing brawl between the Astros and the Montreal Expos in the third inning Monday night at Montreal.

The Expos won, 8-1, but the fight that took place at various spots of the Olympic Stadium infield--and the seven ejections--were the focus.

The trouble started, as pitcher Danny Darwin saw it, when Henry Rodriguez took his time admiring a home run he hit against the Houston starter in the second inning.

The next inning, Darwin gave up a two-run double to Moises Alou and a two-run homer to Darrin Fletcher, giving the Expos a 6-1 lead.

That brought up Rodriguez. Darwin drilled Rodriguez on the left hip with a 2-0 pitch. Rodriguez charged the mound and both benches emptied.

In the ensuing 10-minute scuffle, Collins was hit in the face with a batting helmet.

Darwin, Derrick May, Collins and John Cangelosi of the Astros were ejected. Rodriguez, Moises Alou and Jeff Juden of the Expos were thrown out.

Chicago 11, New York 1--Ryne Sandberg hit his 20th home run and Jaime Navarro (11-9) beat the Mets for the third time this season, giving up five hits over eight innings at New York.