Rodriguez Breaks Through for Expos

Henry Rodriguez finally got a pitch from Frank Castillo he could hit.

Rodriguez, who entered the game one for 11 against Castillo, hit a three-run triple during a four-run first inning as the Expos completed a four-game sweep with a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Montreal.

“One for 11?” Rodriguez asked when told of his stats against Castillo. “Wow. Tonight, he just threw me a ham-and-cheese over the plate, and I hit it for a three-run triple. That gave us the big start.”

Montreal starter Jeff Juden (6-2), who gave up two runs and five hits in six-plus innings, did not give up a hit until Scott Servais singled leading off the fifth.

The four-game sweep was Montreal’s first over Chicago since Sept. 11-13, 1979.

Trailing, 6-0, the Cubs scored twice in the sixth and eighth innings, and got within 6-5 in the ninth on Sammy Sosa’s run-scoring single off Ugueth Urbina. But Urbina retired Doug Glanville on a flyout with runners at second and third for his ninth save.

F.P. Santangelo went three for four with an RBI double and two runs scored as the Expos won their seventh consecutive game at home against Chicago.

The Cubs have lost five games in a row, their longest losing skid since opening the season with an NL-record 14-game streak.

“I’m not going to dwell on the road trip,” Cub Manager Jim Riggleman said of the club’s 1-5 trip to Philadelphia and Montreal. “We’ve got to focus on getting it cranked up again like we played in May.”

Colorado 8, Atlanta 3--Vinny Castilla hit a three-run home run--the 100th of his career--and Ellis Burks had a solo shot as the Rockies won in a game delayed nearly 2 1/2 hours by rain at Denver.

For the fourth consecutive day, a Rockies game was disrupted by rain at Coors Field. After a rainy weekend series of postponements, delays and tornado warnings in the series with Florida, the opener of a three-game series with Atlanta was delayed for 2 hours 26 minutes in the second inning.

Roger Bailey (6-5) gave up nine hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win.

Tom Glavine (6-4) was reached for eight hits and five runs in eight innings.

Colorado’s Larry Walker went three for four to raise his major league-leading average to .422.

The Braves lost for only the second time in their last eight road games.

Trailing 2-0, the Rockies scored five times in the fifth inning, three of the runs coming on Castilla’s 16th homer this season. Larry Walker hit an RBI groundout in the inning and Burks had an RBI double.

San Francisco 7, Florida 4--Barry Bonds homered and drove in four runs to help rookie Keith Foulke get his first major league win at San Francisco.

Bonds hit a three-run homer, his third home run in two games, to help the Giants open a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning off Pat Rapp (4-3).

Foulke (1-1), taking the injured Osvaldo Fernandez’s spot in the rotation, gave up one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out eight in his third start.

The Giants have won nine consecutive games over the Marlins.

Leading, 1-0, after Bonds’ RBI single in the first inning, the Giants added two runs in the fourth.

A leadoff single by Jeff Kent, a walk to Bonds and Mark Lewis’ single loaded the bases. One out later, Rick Wilkins’ grounder slipped under first baseman Jeff Conine for an error, allowing Kent to score. Bill Mueller’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

Jose Vizcaino singled and Kent walked with one out in the fifth inning to set up Bonds’ 11th homer, a towering shot that landed eight rows into the upper deck in right.

Foulke left with one out in the seventh after walking Edgar Renteria and giving up a ground-rule double by Gary Sheffield. Moises Alou grounded out against Tavarez to score Renteria with Florida’s only run.

New York 4, Cincinnati 2--Bobby Jones singled home a run and won his eighth consecutive start--matching a Met record--as New York rallied at Cincinnati.

Jones (11-2) gave up seven hits in eight innings, including Jeff Branson’s two-run homer that tied it in the seventh. John Franco pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 18 opportunities.

Stan Belinda (0-2) gave up the go-ahead run with a wild pitch in the eighth, and Manny Alexander added a sacrifice fly in the ninth off Jeff Shaw to secure Jones’ victory.

Only two other Met pitchers have won eight consecutive starts: Tom Seaver in 1969 and David Cone in 1988. The club record for consecutive wins is 14 by Dwight Gooden in 1985.

Jones has won 11 games faster than any pitcher in Met history. He became the first National League pitcher to win 11 this season and the second major leaguer. Toronto’s Roger Clemens also has 11 victories.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Barry Bonds

Team: San Francisco

Performance: 2 for 3, 2 runs, 4 RBIs, homer

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: F.P. Santangelo

Team: Montreal

Performance: 3 for 4, 2 runs, RBI, 2 doubles

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Ray Lankford

Team: St. Louis

Performance: 2 for 4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, double, homer

Team’s Result: Win

PITCHING

Player: Andy Benes

Team: St. Louis

Performance: 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Bobby Jones

Team: N.Y. Mets

Performance: 8 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 4 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Keith Foulke

Team: San Francisco

Performance: 6 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win