Piazza a Footnote as Cardinals Rip Marlins

The Florida Marlins got off to a good start in Game 2 of the Mike Piazza era, but it evaporated quickly as the St. Louis Cardinals took advantage of another team trying to pitch around Mark McGwire.

Brian Jordan, who bats cleanup behind McGwire, burned the Marlins on Sunday by going five for five with a home run and four runs batted in a 13-4 victory at St. Louis.

It was the first five-hit game by a Cardinal this year and the first of Jordan’s career. Over his last nine games, Jordan is hitting .515 (17 for 33) with four home runs and 11 RBIs.

It obliterated the impact of Piazza’s first hit as a Marlin, which drove home Edgar Renteria with one out in the first to make the score 1-0.

The Marlins put Jordan on the spot in the first inning when starter Chris Hammond retired the first two batters, then threw four straight out of the strike zone to McGwire. Jordan followed with his eighth home run just over the fence in center field to make the score 2-1.

“The big thing on everybody’s mind when they’re pitching against St. Louis is Mark McGwire,” Hammond said. “They don’t want to add onto the record-book home runs that he’s been hitting.”

Two innings later, Jordan picked up the Cardinals after McGwire struck out with runners on second and third and one out by singling home Royce Clayton to give the Cardinals the lead again at 3-2.

“I’m comfortable there,” Jordan said. “I proved that in ’96 when I drove in 104 runs. I’m more relaxed and it’s going to make the No. 3 hitter better.”

Jordan added a single in the sixth and a bad-hop double off third baseman Todd Zeile’s glove in the eighth.

With the loss, the Marlins fell 16 games below .500 (14-30) for the first time since 1995, and tied the 1995 team’s record for the worst start in franchise history for 44 games. Florida is 1-6 on its eight-game trip.

“Everybody’s upset by this,” said Marlin Manager Jim Leyland. “But we’re doing the best we can to save this franchise for South Florida. I don’t blame people for being upset.”

Piazza drove in his second run in as many games with his first-inning single. Derrek Lee drove in the other run with a two-out single in the third.

Zeile was hitless in five at-bats.

Houston 8, Atlanta 1--Sean Bergman gave up three hits in eight innings, and Moises Alou had four RBIs at Houston as the Astros handed John Smoltz his first loss.

Bergman (4-2) retired the first 13 batters before Ryan Klesko hit his seventh homer with one out in the fifth. Bergman struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Alou walked and doubled twice, and Jack Howell added a two-run homer as the Astros scored eight times in four-plus innings against Smoltz (4-1).

San Diego 3, Philadelphia 1--Steve Finley, batting just .195, hit a solo homer and Tony Gwynn got his 1,000th RBI as the Padres defeated Curt Schilling at San Diego for their fifth consecutive victory.

Finley and hadn’t homered since April 25, a span of 77 at-bats. He hit Schilling’s first pitch with two out in the third for a 2-0 lead, his fourth homer.

Gwynn had a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the seventh for his 1,000th RBI. It was his first appearance since taking himself out of Friday night’s game because of a sore right knee.

Mark Sweeney doubled leading off the seventh and was replaced by Ruben Rivera, who beat Schilling’s throw to third on Chris Gomez’s bunt.

Schilling (5-4), who had won his previous two starts, gave up three runs, two earned, and seven hits in eight innings. He struck out 10 for a major league best 106 on the season.

Colorado 2, Milwaukee 1--Mike Lansing and Jeff Reed homered, and Jamey Wright pitched eight strong innings at Denver as the Rockies ended a six-game losing streak.

Lansing’s 429-foot homer in the fifth produced a 1-1 tie, and Reed put the Rockies ahead for the first time in the five games of this homestand with his blast in the seventh. Both homers came off reliever Brad Woodall (0-1).

San Francisco 4, New York 2--Mark Gardner bounced back from a rough outing to pitch 6 1/3 strong innings at San Francisco. Gardner (3-2), who won for the first time since April 21, gave up one run and four hits. In his last start, he was tagged for eight runs and 11 hits in just 2 1/3 innings against Montreal. Gardner struck out seven and walked two. Robb Nen got five outs for his ninth save.

Arizona 8, Pittsburgh 2--Matt Williams had three hits and two RBIs, and Andy Benes got his first victory in over a month as the Diamondbacks beat the Pirates at Phoenix.

Benes (3-3) went seven innings, giving up two runs and nine hits, for his first win since April 16. It was the Diamondbacks’ third victory in their last four games. Pirate starter Estaban Loaiza (2-2) put his team ahead, 2-0, with a two-run single in the second, but allowed six runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.