Maddux Makes It Look Easy

It took Greg Maddux just more than two hours to convince Cincinnati Manager Jack McKeon how good he is.

“Maddux is a master,” McKeon said Thursday night after Maddux stopped the Reds with a three-hitter for his fifth shutout in a 5-0 victory at Atlanta.

“He carved us up,” McKeon said. “He didn’t give us anything good to hit.”

“You keep saying the same thing over and over and its sounds like a recording,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said. “He was absolutely in command.”

The way he was pitching, Maddux didn’t need much help from the offense, but he got plenty from Andruw Jones, who homered twice.

Maddux (15-5) walked none and struck out six for his 199th victory. The four-time Cy Young Award winner has 28 career shutouts and 89 complete games, including nine this season.

He lowered his major league-leading earned-run average to 1.53, and needed just 92 pitches to finish game in 2 hours, 5 minutes.

Philadelphia 3, San Diego 2--Rico Brogna’s single in the 11th inning off Padre closer Trevor Hoffman gave the Phillies a victory at San Diego and ended their season-high, seven-game losing streak.

The Phillies avoided their second three-game sweep at San Diego this season and handed Hoffman his first loss.

Hoffman (3-1), who leads the majors with 37 saves, hadn’t lost since July 11, 1997 at Colorado.

Padre starter Joey Hamilton gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

New York 9, San Francisco 8--Jose Mesa walked home the winning run for the second time in three games as the Mets defeated the Giants at New York.

The Mets, whose relievers blew a four-run lead in the eighth inning by giving up two three-run homers, rallied with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth.

John Olerud, Tony Phillips, Edgardo Alfonzo and Brian McRae homered for the Mets, who moved within 2 1/2 games of the idle Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card race.

Olerud, who had two hits, raised his league-leading batting average to .343.