Spiers Delivers in 10th off Eckersley

Houston’s reserves beat the Cardinals again.

Bill Spiers, who had struck out in his first three at-bats as a pinch-hitter, came off the bench in the 10th inning and doubled in two runs off Dennis Eckersley, leading the Astros to a 4-2 win at St. Louis on Monday.

“He’s one of the best closers in the game, and today I was lucky to get him,” Spiers said. “Any time you face him, it’s going to be a battle.”

Derek Bell doubled off Eckersley (0-1) leading off the inning, his third hit of the game, and Luis Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. Spiers, six for 33 as a pinch-hitter last season, followed with his one-out double down the right-field line.

“You can’t give up leadoff doubles,” said Eckersley, 0-7 the past two seasons. “Leadoff doubles score about 75% of the time. That went up today.”

The Astros won Saturday’s game, 7-5, on a bases-loaded, sixth-inning triple by Bob Abreu. Houston split the four-game series after sweeping three from St. Louis at the Astrodome from April 4-6.

“It’s hard to beat them, even when they don’t have their whole team,” Houston Manager Larry Dierker said, noting the Cardinals have eight players on the disabled list. “There’s a lot of season left, but it’s nice to have this jump on them.”

Billy Wagner (1-0) struck out the side in the ninth inning, and John Hudek finished for his second save. Wagner has 12 strikeouts in six innings against the Cardinals and 17 in 9 2/3 innings overall.

“Right now I’m throwing the ball about as well as I can,” said Wagner, who hasn’t given up a run this season. “I go out there with all the confidence in the world, even when I don’t feel good.”

Cardinals rookie Dmitri Young made two errors at first base, dropping a throw in the eighth and missing a foul pop in the 10th.

“I just want to forget about today,” Young said.

Astro starter Darryl Kile, who has lost four consecutive decisions to the Cardinals, gave up two runs and six hits in eight innings, struck out eight and walked four.

Rookie Matt Morris made his second start and gave up two runs--one earned--and eight hits in six innings.

Brian Jordan, who had missed three games with stiffness in his lower back, hit a run-scoring single in the first inning and Morris singled in a run in the second.

It was his first major-league hit and run batted in.

Pat Listach hit a run-scoring groundout in the fourth, and Craig Biggio hit his first homer of the season in the fifth. He had been in a three-for-22 slump.

Bell saved a run in the sixth inning when he made a diving catch near the warning track in center field on Jordan’s liner, turning it into a double play.

Colorado 10, Montreal 8--Andres Galarraga broke a sixth-inning tie with a two-run single and Vinny Castilla followed with his sixth homer of the season as the Rockies won at Denver.

Larry Walker drove in three runs, increased his league-leading RBI total to 18. Walker, batting .471 with five homers and nine runs batted in lifetime against his former team, singled twice, doubled and walked.

Jerry DiPoto (1-0) got the victory, although two inherited runners scored against him in the sixth, turning Colorado’s 7-5 lead into a 7-7 tie.

The Rockies took the lead back for good in the bottom of the inning on Galarraga’s two-run single and a solo homer by Castilla off Everett Stull (0-1), who was making his major-league debut.

Montreal starter Jeff Juden didn’t make it out of the first inning, walking three and giving up three hits and four runs. He retired only one batter and gave up run-scoring singles to Walker and Dante Bichette and a two-run single to Castilla.

Montreal used four singles and a bases-loaded walk to F.P. Santangelo to draw to 4-3 in the second inning. Shane Andrews tied the game, 4-4, on a home run with one out in the fourth.

Mark Grudzielanek drove in the Expos’ last run with a single in the seventh.

Atlanta 15, Cincinnati 5--Javy Lopez hit a grand slam and Kenny Lofton went five for six as the hot-hitting Braves rolled to the victory at Atlanta.

The Braves batted around in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, scoring four runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings. They got five in the seventh, when Lopez hit the first grand slam of his career.

Michael Tucker had four runs batted in.

Atlanta had 19 hits and is batting .383 over the last five games. Cincinnati pitchers made things worse with eight walks.

Lofton, who had two runs batted in and two stolen bases, tied an Atlanta record by scoring five runs and is 17 of 30 during a six-game hitting streak that has raised his average to .393.

Atlanta starter Denny Neagle (1-0) won despite giving up five runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Larry Walker Colorado 3 for 4, 3 runs, Win 3 RBI, 1 double Bill Spiers Houston Pinch-hit double in Win 10th game winner Kenny Lofton Atlanta 5 for 6, 17 for Win 30 last 6 games Jeff Kent San Francisco 3 RBI, game-winning Win HR in 8th

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Darryl Kile Houston 8 innings, 6 hits, Win 2 runs, 8 strikeouts Matt Morris St. Louis 8 innings, 2 runs in Loss 2nd lifetime start

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