Harnisch Extends Expos’ Skid, 8-1

Pete Harnisch wasn’t preoccupied with hopes of perfection.

Harnisch took a perfect game into the sixth inning and wound up with a three-hitter as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Montreal Expos, 8-1, Monday for a three-game sweep.

“I knew what was going on,” Harnisch said. “I knew I’d retired everybody--I hadn’t been in the stretch yet--but it wasn’t like, ‘I’ve got to get X amount of outs for the perfect game’ because I just figure I’m not going to pitch one.”

Harnisch (10-6) gave up a one-out homer to Orlando Cabrera in the sixth, an infield single to Vladimir Guerrero in the seventh and a two-out single to Ryan McGuire in the eighth.

Montreal, which has lost five in a row and 12 of 14, made four errors, increasing its total to a major league-high 129.

“I have to admit my disappointment to a couple of people who weren’t ready to play today,” Expo Manager Felipe Alou said. “There were some balls hit and some people didn’t respond. Some people are getting too many opportunities the way it is right now.”

Harnisch struck out nine and walked one in his second complete game of the season, the 19th of his career, and reached 10 victories for the first time since 1993, when he was 16-9 with Houston.

“If everything goes perfect and it happens, it happens, but that’s not something I think about, really,” Harnisch said. “You’re aware of it, but you’re not thinking about it.”

Reggie Sanders hit a two-run homer in the seventh as Cincinnati won its seventh in a row over Montreal while outscoring the Expos, 22-1, in the three-game series. The Reds finished the season series with an 8-1 record.

Dustin Hermanson (11-10) gave up five runs and six hits in seven innings.