Sanders Ensures Marlins’ First Loss

Twice the Cincinnati Reds were on the verge of losing, and twice Reggie Sanders came to the rescue.

Sanders tied a career high with six RBIs as the Reds rallied to beat Florida, 9-7, Friday night at Miami, sending the Marlins to their first loss.

Sanders hit a three-run double that chased starter Pat Rapp in the fifth and pulled Cincinnati to 4-3, then tied the score, 6-6, with a three-run homer off Mark Hutton in a six-run seventh.

“I was looking for something in over the plate and he gave me a fastball right where I was looking,” Sanders said. “I took an easy swing and I don’t think I can hit it any harder.”

It was the second six-RBI game for Sanders, who also did it at Pittsburgh on Aug. 25, 1995.

“Rapp got in a little trouble and Reggie Sanders had a great game,” said Cincinnati’s Barry Larkin. “Then Mark Hutton got in a little trouble and Reggie Sanders had a great game.”

Atlanta 5, Chicago 4--Chipper Jones felt like he was still playing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

Jones drove in the tie-breaking run with a two-out single in the eighth and the Braves won the first regular-season game at Turner Field in Atlanta, rallying to beat the Cubs.

“That was a good one to break in this field,” said Jones, who went three for four with two RBIs. “It reminds me of what happened so many times across the street (at Fulton County Stadium). We would be down by a run in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning and then come through with a clutch two-out hit.”

Of course, the Braves closed out their former stadium with three consecutive World Series losses to the New York Yankees last fall. It looked as though they might be headed for a similar result in the Turner Field opener until the eighth.

Jeff Blauser and pinch-hitter Mike Mordecai had consecutive one-out singles and Kenny Lofton, acquired in the blockbuster trade with Cleveland, hit a grounder to shortstop that looked like a possible double play. But Shawon Dunston let the ball skip under his glove and Blauser came in with the tying run.

Colorado 5, Montreal 4--Larry Walker knows how to stop the booing at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

“I hit the home run and they shut up real quick,” he said. “I guess there’s one way to shut them up, and that’s the way to do it.”

Walker, who broke into the majors with Montreal but upset fans when he left as a free agent in 1995, had two RBIs as the Rockies stopped their four-game losing streak against the Expos.

“They were booing me pretty good that at-bat,” said Walker, who connected off reliever Anthony Telford in the sixth for his third homer of the season, giving the Rockies a 4-2 lead.

Houston 3, St. Louis 2--Jeff Bagwell’s one-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Ray Montgomery with the winning run as the Astros edged the winless Cardinals at Houston.

Montgomery hit a one-out single off Eric Ludwick (0-1) in the 11th and advanced to second on a base hit by Craig Biggio. Pat Listach walked to load the bases before Bagwell hit a 1-and-0 pitch to the gap in right-center field to drive home the winning run. Russ Springer (1-0) pitched a scoreless 11th for his first victory as an Astro.

Starter Chris Holt, making his major-league debut, allowed two runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings. Ludwick allowed one run and two hits while retiring only one batter for St. Louis (0-4), which is off to its worst start since going 0-4 to open the 1985 season.

The Cardinals won 11 of 13 games against Houston last season. All four of the Astros’ games have been decided by one run. Houston has scored only 11 runs in going 3-1.

San Diego 13, Philadelphia 3--Greg Vaughn homered twice and Rickey Henderson scored twice in his first start of the season, leading the Padres at San Diego.

Vaughn, who hit 41 homers last season with Milwaukee and San Diego, connected for solo homers off relievers Ron Blazier and Scott Ruffcorn. The home run off Ruffcorn carried 475 feet into the second deck, making Vaughn only the 14th player to reach that level in Jack Murphy Stadium.

Henderson, relegated to the bench for the most part because Vaughn signed a three-year deal, went one for three with two walks.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Result Chipper Jones Atlanta 3 for 4, 2 RBI Win Reggie Sanders Cincinnati Tied career high with 6 RBI Win Larry Walker Colorado 5 for 9 last 2 games with 2 HR Win

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Result Matt Morris St. Louis 7 hits, one walk, six innings Loss Tim Worrell San Diego 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs Win Chris Holt Houston 6 1/3 innings, 6 hits, 4 strikeouts Win

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