Pirates Get Frustrations Out Against Cubs

If the Pittsburgh Pirates had known an air-it-out, players-only meeting would be so productive, they would have called one before they were 14 games out of first place.

Jon Lieber gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings and the Pirates, apparently responding to a pregame meeting called by Kevin Young and Turner Ward, defeated the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, Monday night at Pittsburgh to halt a six-game losing streak.

Sammy Sosa failed to homer for the third consecutive game, getting a single in four at-bats. He has 35 homers in 92 games, the last coming Friday against Milwaukee.

Tony Womack hit an inside-the-park homer and drove in two runs as the Pirates, losers of eight of nine and 11 of 13, won their first game since July 2. They had won only twice in their previous 12 home games.

“If some players took what was said personally, they probably deserved it,” Womack said of the 30-minute meeting. “I took it for us to say what was on our minds, then go out and play the way we can play.”

Ward tripled and scored in the sixth against Jeremi Gonzalez (7-6), and Young had an run-scoring double off reliever Terry Adams in a four-run seventh after run-scoring singles by Womack, Jason Kendall and Jose Guillen.

Colorado 9, San Diego 5--Vinny Castilla, Larry Walker, Ellis Burks and Todd Helton hit solo home runs at Denver as the Rockies ran their winning streak to a season-high four games.

Tony Gwynn, in the midst of the longest slump of his career, did not start for the Padres. The eight-time National League batting champion pinch-hit in the eighth inning and flied out, making him hitless in 18 at-bats.

Greg Vaughn had a three-run double for San Diego, making it 4-1 in the third.

Bobby Jones (3-3) overcame wildness problems to get the victory, going six innings and giving up five runs and five hits.

San Diego scored in the second when Vaughn walked, Jim Leyritz doubled and Ruben Rivera had an run-scoring groundout. Colorado countered in the bottom half on Helton’s 14th homer off Sterling Hitchcock (4-3).

Milwaukee 4, Philadelphia 2--Marc Newfield homered, doubled and drove in two runs at Milwaukee in a rare start as the Brewers ended the Phillies’ six-game winning streak.

Steve Woodard (6-5) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings in helping prevent the Phillies from winning seven in a row for the first time since May 1995.

Bob Wickman pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances. Tyler Green (6-5) took the loss.

Florida 8, Montreal 7--First baseman Brad Fullmer’s throwing error allowed Edgar Renteria to score in the ninth inning at Miami and the Marlins extended their winning streak to a season-high four games.

The Marlins won for the sixth time in seven games. The start of the game was delayed 2 hours, 20 minutes because of rain.

Renteria led off the ninth against Anthony Telford (3-3) with his third single and moved to second on Mark Kotsay’s sacrifice.

Todd Zeile hit a grounder and Renteria held as third baseman Shane Andrews threw to first for the out. Renteria broke after Andrews’ throw, and Fullmer’s rushed throw was wide of third and allowed the winning run to score.

The Expos tied it at 7-7 in the ninth. Vladimir Guerrero reached when catcher Gregg Zaun bobbled a chopper in front of the plate.

Rondell White followed with a double off Antonio Alfonseca (2-2), and Guerrero scored when shortstop Renteria juggled the relay throw from left field.

Cliff Floyd hit a two-run, two-out double in Florida’s three-run first off Shawn Boskie.

Arizona 5, Houston 3--Rookie Danny Klassen atoned for his costly error moments earlier with a go-ahead home run in a heated fifth inning to help the Diamondbacks at Phoenix.

Arizona broke its four-game losing streak and handed the Astros their fourth consecutive loss. Astro Manager Larry Dierker was ejected in the fifth after a nose-to-nose argument with umpire Angel Hernandez.

Amaury Telemaco (3-3) got the victory, giving up four hits and one earned run in 5 1/3 innings. Gregg Olson pitched the ninth for his 12th save.