No Error About It: Bonilla Slams Cubs

L.A. Times Archives

Aug. 20, 1997 12 AM PT

<i> From Associated Press</i>

With one swing, Bobby Bonilla more than made up for two errors a night earlier.

“That’s the beauty of baseball. One day you’re horrible, and the next day you’re good,” said Bonilla, who hit a grand slam Tuesday night in the Florida Marlins’ 8-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Miami.

Bonilla, who booted two grounders in Florida’s 7-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday night, followed two bases-loaded walks in the fifth inning with his seventh career grand slam and 15th homer.

“Bobby Bonilla came in here and stuck out his chin and said he messed up Monday,” Marlin Manager Jim Leyland said. “He took it like a man and went about his business like a real professional.”

Chicago rookie Jeremi Gonzalez (9-6) took a no-hitter into the fifth before Charles Johnson singled with one out and Craig Counsell followed with a soft single.

Alex Fernandez (16-8) pitched a four-hitter, walked one and struck out seven in his fifth complete game. He has won his last six starts and 11 of 13.

The right-hander, 7-1 since the All-Star break, is 3-0 against the Cubs this season and has given up only two runs and 10 hits in 24 2/3 innings (0.73 earned-run average) against them.

“Right now I feel that I have it all together,” said Fernandez, who retired the last 13 batters and got 16 groundouts. “When the fans got into Bobby Bonilla, I wanted to go in the stands and cheer for him too. He’s done it all year.”

Atlanta 4, Houston 3--John Smoltz struck out a season-high 11 in eight innings and Jeff Blauser hit a two-run homer as the Braves won at Houston to hand Mike Hampton his first loss since June 27.

Smoltz (12-10) shut out the Astros until Derek Bell led off the sixth inning with his 10th homer of the season. Smoltz gave up three runs--two earned--on seven hits and two walks.

Mark Wohlers allowed runners to reach second and third in the ninth before striking out Craig Biggio for his 30th save.

The Braves, only 20-19 since the All-Star break, ended Hampton’s string of success with nine of their 11 hits against him. Kenny Lofton had three hits for the Braves and Andruw Jones broke out of an 0-for-23 slump with two singles.

Cincinnati 6, Colorado 5--Jon Nunnally hit a tie-breaking homer and Willie Greene homered and drove in three runs as the Reds won in the rain at Cincinnati.

The Reds improved to 12-12 under Manager Jack McKeon by winning for the seventh time in 10 games. Cincinnati has played .500 under McKeon despite losing three starting pitchers--John Smiley was traded and Dave Burba and Pete Schourek are on the disabled list.

Nunnally hit a solo homer off Jamey Wright (6-9) to put the Reds ahead in the fifth, and Greene added a two-run shot off Curtis Leskanic in the sixth as the Rockies lost for only the fourth time in 12 games.

Mike Morgan (5-10) gave up six hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings to get his second consecutive victory after five losses in a row. Jason Bates’ pinch two-run double off Stan Belinda cut it to 6-5 in the eighth, but Jeff Shaw got the final four outs for his 25th save in 30 chances.

Colorado’s Larry Walker went 0 for 5, dropping his average to .376.

Deion Sanders, the NL’s leading base stealer, sat out the game because of a back injury.

St. Louis 12, Montreal 5--Ray Lankford hit a three-run homer and scored twice in an eight-run second inning as the Cardinals defeated the Expos at Montreal.

Gary Gaetti, celebrating his 39th birthday, hit an RBI single in the second and homered for a 9-0 lead in the Cardinals’ fifth, helping St. Louis to its third victory in four games.

Todd Stottlemyre (12-8) gave up one run and four hits in five innings but was forced from the game after being hit in the shoulder by F.P. Santangelo’s RBI single in the fifth.

“It’s scary. The ball got on me quick,” Stottlemyre said. “I don’t really remember seeing it. I feel OK, that’s probably the scariest thing about it.”

Lankford singled to open the second and scored on Gaetti’s single. With two out and the Cardinals leading, 5-0, Lankford matched a career-high with his 25th home run, a three-run shot off Carlos Perez (11-9), who lost his third consecutive start.

Pittsburgh 5, San Diego 3--Jon Lieber won at home for the first time since June 30 as the Pirates beat the Padres at Pittsburgh.

Jose Guillen had two run-scoring singles as the Pirates scored all but one of their five runs against Padre starter Pete Smith (4-4) with two outs. Tony Womack led off the first with his sixth homer.

The Pirates, beginning a stretch of 10 home games in nine days, won their third in four games and fifth in seven games. They had lost four in a row to the Padres, including a three-game sweep in San Diego on July 22-24.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Bobby Bonilla

Team: Florida

Performance: Grand slam

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Willie Greene

Team: Cincinnati

Performance: Home run, 3 RBIs

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Ray Lankford