Grand Slam Leaves Braves Feeling Chipper

Kevin Millwood was one of the first players who rushed to home plate to congratulate Chipper Jones.

What looked like a sure loss turned into a win for the Braves’ right-hander when Jones hit a grand slam to cap a five-run seventh inning Saturday night in a 6-4 win over San Diego at Atlanta.

Jones’ blast gave the Braves a club-record 21 consecutive games with a home run.

His 12th home run of the season and fourth grand slam of his career came against Dan Miceli, the Padres’ third pitcher of the inning. It made Millwood (5-1) the winner and gave the Braves their fifth win in six games and 10th in 12.

“I was right in front of the line,” a smiling Millwood said.

The Braves trailed, 3-0, when Gerald Williams doubled with one out in the seventh inning off Brian Boehringer. Pinch-hitter Michael Tucker singled home Williams.

Ben VanRyn (0-1) relieved and gave up a pinch-hit single to Keith Lockhart and walked Walt Weiss to load the bases. Miceli took over and retired pinch-hitter Ryan Klesko on a liner to second base before Jones homered over the left-center field fence.

“Our bench came through and then Chipper got the bomb,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said.

The bomb broke the Atlanta club record of 20 consecutive games with a homer, set in 1973. The streak is one shy of the franchise record of 22, set by the 1956 Milwaukee Braves, and two off the National League mark of 24, set by the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers.

Montreal 4, Colorado 0--Chris Widger homered for the third time in four games and Trey Moore pitched seven strong innings as the Expos won at Montreal.

Widger hit his third homer of the season--all of them during this recent surge--in the fourth inning off Colorado starter John Thomson (2-3).

“I think it opened it up a little bit for us,” Widger said. “We were playing a little bit tight, and I happened to get lucky on an 0-2 pitch. Maybe he made a little bit of a mistake.”

Moore (2-4) was glad to give Montreal Manager Felipe Alou some quality innings after lasting no more than 4 2/3 in four of his five previous starts.

“I’m not doing him any good going three innings each time,” Moore said. “It’s that much more important to make the pitches and stretch it out, and not depend on the bullpen the whole time and give him a quality start.”

Moore gave up six hits in his longest outing--he went six innings for his first win on Apr. 15--in six lifetime starts. He struck out four and walked one.

San Francisco 5-0, Chicago 1-6--No, the Cubs’ Jeremi Gonzalez didn’t strike out 20 like his teammate Kerry Wood did last Wednesday, but Gonzalez did pitch his second shutout, giving up only six hits as the Cubs beat Giants to gain a doubleheader split at Chicago.

Gonzalez (3-3), who had been suffering from some tenderness in his shoulder, walked four and struck out seven, getting his second complete game as well. He shut out St. Louis last June 23.

The Giants won the opener as Danny Darwin, 42, nearly 20 years older than Gonzalez, turned in a strong 6 2/3 innings.

Houston 11, Milwaukee 6--Pete Schourek pitched five shutout innings in his 1998 debut, and Richard Hidalgo tied a career-high with four RBIs as the Astros won at Milwaukee.

Bob Scanlan relieved Schourek to start the sixth with an 8-0 lead, and threw his first pitch behind Jeff Cirillo in apparent retaliation for an earlier hit batter. Scanlan was ejected, and Mike Magnante came in and gave up six runs in the inning.

Cleanup hitter Jeromy Burnitz, who struck out for the first out of the inning, flied out to the mound to end the sixth and leave the bases loaded.

Burnitz also failed with the bases full in the eighth, grounding out for the final out.

Schourek (1-0), whose contract was purchased Saturday from triple-A New Orleans, surrendered only two first-inning singles, walked two and hit a batter.

Pittsburgh 6, Cincinnati 1--Jose Silva outpitched Scott Winchester in a matchup of rookie starters, and Jason Kendall drove in two runs in leading the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Jermaine Allensworth and Kevin Young homered and Jose Guillen was three for four with two more doubles--he has four in two games--as the Pirates won their fourth in five games since losing five of six.

Arizona at Philadelphia--The Phillies, who open a four-game series at Dodger Stadium on Monday, got an extra day of rest when their game with the Diamondbacks was rained out.

The game will be made up on Aug. 20 as part of a twi-night doubleheader.

St. Louis at New York--The Mets were rained out for the sixth time this season. The teams will make up the rainout with a doubleheader today.