Astros Ride Hampton’s Four-Hitter

Mike Hampton changed speeds and his manager’s image of him.

Hampton pitched a four-hitter and Derek Bell homered to lead the Houston Astros to a 3-1 victory Sunday over the Colorado Rockies at Houston.

“If you watched today’s game carefully you would have seen a guy make the transition from a power pitcher to pitcher,” Manager Larry Dierker said. “He can go power when he has to but he’s changing speeds and keeping hitters guessing, and that’s the key to a successful pitcher. Mike has learned he doesn’t have to try and blow it by everybody.”

Hampton’s team-high sixth complete game kept Houston three games ahead of second-place Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

Hampton (11-8) set a career high for victories. The left-hander struck out seven, walked four and won for the eighth time in nine decisions.

“I still walked too many guys but I’m happy I didn’t give in,” Hampton said. “With a team that swings the bats the way the Rockies do, you try to get them to chase bad pitches, and fortunately I was able to do that today.”

Bell, 18 for 31 (.581) in his last seven games, failed to get two hits for the first time in seven games, also got an RBI with a bases-loaded walk.

The Rockies, losing for the fourth time in six games, had only two baserunners advance as far as second base.

Florida 7, St. Louis 1--Craig Counsell hit a grand slam for his first major-league homer and Kirt Ojala earned his first career victory in helping the Marlins beat the Cardinals at Miami.

Counsell’s homer capped a six-run first inning against Todd Stottlemyre (12-9).

Ojala (1-0), making his second career start filling in for injured left-hander Al Leiter, gave up five hits and one run. He struck out eight and left after the first two batters reached in the seventh.

The 28-year-old rookie left-hander, as expected, was sent back to triple-A Charlotte after the game because Leiter, having recovered from a groin strain, will rejoin the rotation Friday.

The Marlins climbed 22 games above .500 for the first time and closed to within four games of first-place Atlanta in the NL East.

Florida won with Moises Alou, Devon White, Charles Johnson and Jeff Conine absent from the starting lineup. Each had the day off.

Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire left the game in the sixth after fouling a ball off his left leg. He went 0 for 3, lowering his average with St. Louis to .200 in 22 games.

St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa, who had a family commitment, missed the game and was replaced by former Marlin Manager Rene Lachemann, now a coach for St. Louis. La Russa flew to California to meet his daughter returning from a camping trip, and he’ll rejoin the team today.

The start of the game was delayed 55 minutes by rain.

Chicago 12, Montreal 3--Ryne Sandberg hit two home runs and rookie Jeremi Gonzalez got his 10th victory as the Cubs won at Chicago.

Sandberg, batting in the No. 2 spot, hit a two-run homer in the first and added a solo shot in the fourth for his 25th career two-homer game and second this year.

“That’s where I’ve spent my whole career,” Sandberg said of hitting second, which he hasn’t done since June 24. Sunday was only the fifth game this year in the No. 2 spot.

Sammy Sosa hit his 29th home run and 200th of his career, a three-run shot in the eighth. Shawon Dunston followed with his ninth homer.

Dunston started in left field to mark the first time he has started a major league game at a position other than shortstop.

San Diego 3, New York 2--Pete Smith was the winning pitcher at New York, but it is his bases-loaded triple that he’ll remember most.

It was only the second triple of his career, and he still recalls his first one eight years ago. “Randy Johnson,” he said, recalling the pitcher. “Otis Nixon dove, missed it. It rolled to the wall.”

Smith was with the Braves, Johnson with the Expos at the time.

Sunday’s triple also came about because of a missed dive. Smith (5-4) sliced a 2-1 pitch down the right-field line, and Butch Huskey failed to come up with it on an awkward dive. The ball rolled into the right-field corner as the slow-footed Smith made it to third.

Cincinnati 6, Atlanta 4--One day after interim Manager Jack McKeon held a closed-door meeting to berate his players for their shoddy play, the Reds bounced back to beat the Braves at Atlanta on Eduardo Perez’s two-out, two-run double in the 10th inning.

“I think it sunk in,” McKeon said of the message he delivered to the Reds after they were routed, 10-3, on Saturday.

The Reds managed to win on a day when five Atlanta pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts, including a season-high 12 by John Smoltz.

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BESTS OF TE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Ryne Sandberg Chicago 3 for 4, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 4 runs Win Eric Young Dodgers 2 for 4, homer Win Rondell White Montreal 2 for 4, homer Loss

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PITCHING

Player: Mike Hampton

Team: Houston

Performance: 9 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Ismael Valdez

Team: Dodgers

Performance: 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 3 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Pete Smith

Team: San Diego

Performance: 6 innings, 2 hits, 1 run; hit 3-run triple

Team’s Result: Win