Perez Makes Support Count as Expos Rough Up the Giants

Carlos Perez was looking for a little run support, and the Montreal Expos finally obliged.

Mark Grudzielanek and Chris Widger both homered twice, and Perez won his second straight following a seven-game losing streak as the visiting Expos beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-5, Wednesday.

Perez (2-3) allowed five runs--four earned--and seven hits in eight innings. He struck out six, including his last four batters, and beat the Giants for the first time in four tries.

“Carlos has been throwing the ball well all year,” said Grudzielanek, who went three for five with two RBIs. “When we jumped on top in the first inning, it’s a relief for him. He finally had a relaxed game.”

Every Montreal starter except leadoff batter F.P. Santangelo had a hit, and the Expos, baseball’s lowest scoring team, achieved season highs in runs and hits (15).

Mark Gardner (2-2) was pounded for eight runs and 11 hits--including four homers. He left after only 53 pitches and 2 1/3 innings, his second shortest outing this season, and his ERA ballooned to 7.13 from 5.72.

Atlanta 10, St. Louis 2--The Braves set an NL record and tied a major league mark when they homered in their 25th consecutive game, doing it when Ryan Klesko hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning at St. Louis.

The Braves, the 1941 New York Yankees and 1994 Detroit Tigers are the only teams in history to homer in 25 consecutive games. Atlanta, which started the streak on April 18, entered the night tied with the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers for the NL record.

Atlanta, which has won five in a row and nine of 10, can break the record today against Cardinal starter Mark Petkovsek.

Tom Glavine (5-2) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings. Cliff Politte (2-3) took the loss.

Chicago 9, Colorado 3--Sammy Sosa, Henry Rodriguez and Jose Hernandez each drove in two runs, and Steve Trachsel pitched eight strong innings as the Cubs routed the Rockies at Denver.

Trachsel (4-1) limited the Rockies to five hits and two runs in his eight-inning stint, with one walk and six strikeouts.

Chicago, winning for the sixth time in eight games, got a season-high 19 hits, including three each by Rodriguez and Scott Servais and Brant Brown.

Pedro Astacio (3-5) took the loss.

New York 4, San Diego 3--Carlos Baerga hit his first homer of the season, a three-run shot in the first inning that sent the Mets past the Padres at San Diego.

Greg Vaughn hit two home runs and a double for the Padres, who lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Bobby Jones (2-3) gave up four hits in eight innings for the win. Joey Hamilton (3-3) took the loss.

Milwaukee 8, Arizona 3--High-priced free agent Willie Blair dropped to 0-7 at Phoenix and the Diamondbacks suffered their team-record eighth straight loss.

Jeff Juden (5-1) pitched seven strong innings and Jeff Cirillo hit two run-scoring singles as the Brewers stopped a four-game losing streak.

Blair became the first pitcher in the majors to lose seven games. Signed to an $11.5 million, three-year contract after going 16-8 last season for Detroit, he allowed four runs in seven innings--and saw his ERA increase to 5.82.

Houston 1, Pittsburgh 0--Mike Hampton gave up six singles in 8 2/3 innings at Houston as the Astros won their fifth in a row.

Hampton (6-1) struck out five, walked three and came within one out of his second shutout this season. He left with a runner on third, and Billy Wagner struck out pinch-hitter Turner Ward on three pitches for his 10th save.

Jon Lieber (1-5) took the loss.

Cincinnati 10, Florida 4--Slumping Barry Larkin doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and scored from second on a wild pitch as the Reds rallied at Cincinnati.

Brett Tomko (5-1) overcame a 67-minute rain delay in going seven innings for his fourth straight victory. Donn Pall (0-1) was the loser.