Mets Take Two From the Cubs

The New York Mets rolled over the Cubs at Chicago on Friday to sweep their second doubleheader in three days.

Armando Reynoso, who made his first major league start since elbow and shoulder surgery sidelined him a year ago, pitched eight shutout innings as the Mets took the first game, 5-0.

In the second game, the Mets twice rallied from deficits and scored five runs in the final two innings for a 7-3 victory that sent a season-high crowd of 40,684 sadly shuffling toward the Wrigley Field exits.

It was the sixth consecutive win for the Mets, who also have won eight of their last 10, and pulled to within 1 1/2 games of the Cubs in the wild-card race.

“We’re playing the way we should be playing,” Brian McRae said. “It’s time for us to kick it into gear and start playing well. Of all the wild-card teams, I think we have the best pitching staff, and pitching wins.”

Atlanta 3, Pittsburgh 0--John Smoltz pitched a three-hitter for his first shutout in nearly a year, and Andres Galarraga hit a two-run homer to power the Braves past the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

The Braves’ 68-35 record is the best in club history through 103 games and includes a 6-1 record against the Pirates, who had won six of seven.

Smoltz (9-2) struck out a season-high 10 and walked none in his most dominating start and first complete game of the season. He is 5-1 with a 2.52 earned-run average since coming off the disabled list June 20.

Milwaukee 10-2, Montreal 7-11--Vladimir Guererro had a career-high five RBIs and homered for the fourth consecutive game as the Expos earned a split by defeating the Brewers in the second game of a doubleheader at Milwaukee.

Mike Thurman (1-0) pitched a six-hitter in his first start this season as the Expos ended an eight-game losing streak.

In the opener, Mark Loretta hit a three-run homer, Dave Nilsson had a two-run shot, and Jose Valentin added a solo blast as the Brewers won, 10-7, despite losing starting pitcher Jeff Juden to an ejection for arguing balls and strikes in the fifth.

In the second game, Guerrero, who went five for nine on the day, equaled a club record by homering in four games in a row.

Houston 2, San Diego 1--Pete Schourek pitched seven innings at San Diego to match his longest stint of the season and the Astros defeated the Padres in a meeting of NL division leaders.

Schourek (6-6) gave up one run and five hits, walked none and struck out six.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Padres, who also had won 10 of their previous 12 games. The Central-leading Astros are 5-2 against their NL West-leading counterparts.

San Francisco 12, Cincinnati 2--Jeff Kent hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in a career-high seven runs, leading the Giants to victory over the Reds at San Francisco.

The Reds lost their eighth in a row after a 10-game winning streak.

Kent, breaking out in a big way after hitting only .098 since his July 10 return from a 24-game stay on the disabled list because of a knee sprain, hit his sixth career grand slam as part of the Giants’ eight-run fourth.