Braves Get Past Eighth--and the Mets

After blowing eighth-inning leads in the first two games of the series, which turned into New York victories, the Atlanta Braves held up in that inning Saturday for a 7-4 victory at Atlanta.

Ryan Klesko hit a three-run homer and Greg Maddux survived a shaky start for his 12th victory as the Braves broke a three-game losing streak and ended the Mets’ five-game winning streak.

“I think that was probably the most important eighth inning you’ll see us get out of all year,” said Chipper Jones, who went three for four. “‘I think had we given up the lead right there . . . I’m not going to say it would have been devastating, but it certainly would have hurt us.”

Maddux (12-3) gave up six hits and three runs in seven innings. He walked two and struck out eight before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

He walked Todd Hundley in the first inning--his first base on balls in 36 innings--and gave up five hits and three runs in the first two innings, but settled down and retired 12 in a row and 16 of the last 18 batters he faced. Maddux has walked only 15--five intentionally--in 132 2/3 innings.

Mark Wohlers, who blew a save Thursday night, pitched the ninth for his 21st save.

With the Mets leading, 3-1, in the third, Chipper Jones hit a two-out single and Fred McGriff walked before Klesko hit his 15th homer off Mark Clark (7-6). The Braves added a run in the seventh off Juan Acevedo on an RBI single by Chipper Jones.

The Mets, who had scored eight runs in the eighth inning in two comeback wins, cut it to 5-4 on an RBI single by Butch Huskey. But Mike Bielecki got Rey Ordonez on a comebacker with runners at first and third to get out of trouble.

St. Louis 2, Chicago 1--Danny Sheaffer never knows when--or if--he’ll enter a game. That’s the role he plays for the Cardinals as a utility player. For now, it’s his ticket to stay in the big leagues.

“My big hits are few and far between,” he said after delivering one, a 12th-inning, pinch-hit single that beat the Cubs before 39,790, the largest crowd of the season at Chicago.

Tom Lampkin and John Mabry singled with one out in the 12th off Turk Wendell (2-5) and Sheaffer followed with a line drive to center in only his 76th at-bat of the season, raising his average to .289.

The Cubs had loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th but T.J. Mathews (4-3) struck out Kevin Orie on a 3-2 pitch. Mathews pitched two scoreless innings and Dennis Eckersley pitched the 12th for his 20th save.

Cincinnati 4, Montreal 3--Eduardo Perez kept his at-bat going by getting a piece of a breaking ball. He then provided the biggest hit of the game by getting all of a fastball.

Perez hit a three-run homer and Mike Kelly added a tie-breaking solo homer at Cincinnati, powering the Reds past the Expos.

Both homers came off Carlos Perez (8-6), who threw 115 pitches and regretted two of them.

The first was a belt-high fastball in the third inning to Perez, who had kept his at-bat going by fouling off three pitches with two strikes.

John Smiley (7-10) lost the three-run lead, but Kelly put the Reds ahead again by hitting a change-up out in the fifth off Perez, who had yielded only one homer in his seven previous starts.

Given the second chance, Smiley held on to get his second consecutive victory. The left-hander gave up a run-scoring single to David Segui and a two-run homer to Henry Rodriguez in the fourth, when Montreal tied the score, 3-3.

Smiley gave up only two more hits, for a total of six through seven innings, and didn’t walk a batter. After going 0-4 with an 8.84 earned-run average in June, he has won both of his starts in July.

Philadelphia at Florida--Mark and Al Leiter lost a chance to become the seventh brother combination to start against each other in the major leagues when the Phillie-Marlin game was rained out. The game is scheduled to be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sept. 17.

The Leiters are not scheduled to face each other in today’s series finale because Marlin Manager Jim Leyland decided to skip Al Leiter’s turn and go with scheduled starter Alex Fernandez.

“It’s a bummer, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Mark Leiter (4-9), who will start for Philadelphia. “I guess he’s [Leyland] doing what he thinks is best.”

Al Leiter (7-6), who at 31 is nearly three years younger than Mark, was clearly disappointed by the decision. He is not scheduled to pitch for another week, against the Dodgers.

His mother, Maria, two brothers and a sister along with seven grandchildren were flown in from around the country to attend the game. Father Alex died in 1986.

“I’m here to win, that’s the decision. So be it,” Al Leiter said. “Flying family members in and not having it come about is extremely disappointing. In a couple of days I’ll forget about it and think about the Dodgers.”

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BESTS OF THE DAY / BATTING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Tony Gwynn San Diego 3 for 5, 2 RBIs, batting .402 Win Dante Bichette Colorado 4 for 5, 2 RBIs, home run Loss Ryan Klesko Atlanta 2 for 4, 3 RBIs, home run Win

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BESTS OF THE DAY / PITCHING

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Player Team Performance F. Cordova Pittsburgh 9 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 10 strikeouts Andy Benes St. Louis 9 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 12 strikeouts Terry Mulholland Chicago 7 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 5 strikeouts

Player Team’s Result F. Cordova Win Andy Benes Win Terry Mulholland Loss

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