Pirates Don't Follow Braves' Script

L.A. Times Archives

Aug. 13, 1997 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

The formula for another Atlanta Brave victory seemed in place.

Denny Neagle pitched a strong game. The hitters came through with enough runs. And Mark Wohlers headed to the mound in the ninth inning with a one-run lead.

Only this time, the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t play along.

Turner Ward’s two-run single highlighted a four-run ninth and gave the Pirates a 5-2 victory Tuesday night in Atlanta, the Braves’ first loss when leading after eight innings since May 3, 1996.

“I was very confident,” said Neagle, who watched from the clubhouse as he was denied a chance to become the league’s first 17-game winner. “With a closer as dominant as Wohlers, you have to feel good. He just didn’t have it tonight.”

The Braves had won 61 consecutive games this season when leading after the eighth and were 133-0 in that situation since Greg Maddux gave up a ninth-inning grand slam to Philadelphia more than 15 months ago.

“It got ugly,” said Wohlers, who was seeking his 100th save. “I got the first guy out, but after that it was all downhill. Obviously, my control wasn’t there.”

Wohlers entered in the ninth with the Braves holding a 2-1 lead. He struck out the first hitter before Jason Kendall singled and stole second. Wohlers then walked the next Dale Sveum and pinch-hitter Mark Smith.

Ward, a seventh-inning replacement, followed with a blistering line drive to center that sent Wohlers diving to the ground while the tying and go-ahead runs came home. Al Martin padded the Pirate lead with a two-out, two-run single against Kerry Ligtenberg, who was making his major league debut.

“It’s a good win, a motivator,” Ward said. “Not because it came against Atlanta, but because we’d lost three in a row in Colorado. A come-from-behind win can really boost you.”

Neagle entered the game with a 16-2 record and career-high scoreless streak of 23 2/3 innings. He extended it to 26 2/3 before Eddie Williams, recently acquired from the Dodgers, homered in the fourth to put the Pirates ahead. It was the longest scoreless streak by a Brave pitcher since 1992, when John Smoltz had 29 consecutive innings.

St. Louis 5, New York 2--Slumping Mark McGwire homered, doubled and drove in three runs at St. Louis.

McGwire was just three for 35 since being traded from Oakland to the Cardinals on July 31. He led off the fourth inning with his second NL homer for a 3-1 lead, then hit a two-run double in the fifth.

Tom Pagnozzi, activated before the game after being out since April 29 because of a hip flexor, hit a two-run homer for St. Louis. He hit his first home run in his first at-bat, connecting in the second inning after a bloop single by Gary Gaetti.

The Cardinals have won only four of the last 13. Todd Hundley hit his 26th homer, and second in two days, as the Mets lost for the seventh time in 11 games.

San Francisco 7, Cincinnati 3--Wilson Alvarez struck out nine in 7 1/3 innings and drove in a run with his first major league hit to lead the Giants at San Francisco.

Alvarez (2-1), making his third start since the July 31 trade that brought him with pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin from the White Sox for six minor leaguers, gave up three runs and seven hits.

Hernandez relieved Alvarez with two runners on and one out in the eighth, and got five outs for his first NL save.

Barry Bonds broke an 0-for-17 slump with an RBI double for the Giants. J.T. Snow had an RBI single.

Houston 13, Florida 2--Mike Hampton won his seventh consecutive decision and the Astro offense came through again, pushing their total to 40 runs over the last four games.

Tim Bogar, batting .417 in August, hit a two-run homer at Houston, James Mouton drove in three runs and Chuckie Carr had three hits, including a solo home run. The Central-leading Astros had 16 hits as they opened an 11-game homestand, their longest of the season.

Hampton (10-7) overcame a career-high seven walks. He gave up five hits and struck out six in seven innings.

The Astros scored four times in the third inning off Al Leiter (8-9). They added three more runs against Leiter in the fourth, with Bell hitting a two-run triple and Biggio contributing an RBI single.

Philadelphia 5, Colorado 0--Matt Beech ended his string of 22 consecutive starts without a victory, pitching the Phillies to the win at Denver.

Beech (1-7) had not won since beating Atlanta on Aug. 8, 1996. He was winless in his 15 starts this season.

Tuesday, he retired the first 13 batters and gave up only four hits in seven innings. He walked none.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Mark McGwire

Team: St. Louis

Performance: 2 for 4, 3 RBIs, double, home run

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Chuckie Carr

Team: Houston