Expos Keep Reeling as Playoff Hopes Fade

If the Montreal Expos looked at the Philadelphia Phillies lineup Wednesday night and just assumed they’d win, they were wrong.

Playing against a starting lineup with six players who began the season in the minors, the Expos stumbled again in their bid for the National League wild card, losing for the fifth time in six games, 3-1, at Philadelphia.

“They’re beat up and they’re hurt and we needed to take advantage of it and we didn’t,” Expo shortstop Mark Grudzielanek said. “And it’s probably going to cost us.”

The Phillies’ David West (2-2) made his first start since Aug. 25 and gave up two hits in six innings with six strikeouts. He had been out because of a strained groin.

St. Louis 8, Pittsburgh 7--Jim Leyland lost his last home game as the Pirates’ manager when the team’s fourth error led to the go-ahead run in the 11th inning.

Terry Bradshaw went four for six with three RBIs--he had only three hits all season entering the game--as St. Louis won despite starting only one regular.

Leyland, who resigned last week to seek a job with a contending club, turned down the Pirates’ offer of a night in his honor. But he received four standing ovations, and even the Cardinals came out of their dugout to tip their caps in salute during a fifth-inning scoreboard tribute.

Cincinnati 4, Chicago 3--Hal Morris extended his hitting streak to 25 games--the third-longest in the major leagues this season--and Willie Greene hit another homer as the Reds won at home.

The Reds have won both of their games since being eliminated from the NL Central and Morris has added onto one of the five longest hitting streaks in franchise history.

“It’s a huge feat,” Manager Ray Knight said. “Invariably there will be days you hit the ball hard and don’t get hits. Twenty-five is getting up there in that group where not a lot of people have been.”

Florida 3, Atlanta 0--The Marlins’ Kevin Brown (17-11) outpitched Tom Glavine at Miami, yielding only five hits in seven shutout innings and lowering his earned-run average to 1.89, best in the majors.

“I’ve said all along that he is just as easily deserving of the Cy Young Award as anybody,” said Atlanta’s John Smoltz, the heavy favorite for the award. “He’s been flat-out outstanding.”

Manager Bobby Cox, who has been relying heavily on reserves since the Braves clinched the NL East title Sunday, used his regular lineup against Brown. The Braves have won only two of their past 14 road games.

Houston 5, New York 4--One day after Houston was eliminated from playoff contention, the Astros stopped their losing streak at nine by beating the Mets in 10 innings at Houston. The Astros won on Mike Simms’ RBI single.