Padres’ Brown Feels Much Better After Earning 18th Win

If the flu wasn’t going to slow Kevin Brown down, then neither were the Colorado Rockies.

Brown became the first San Diego pitcher in 13 years to win 18 games and the Padres reduced their magic number for clinching the NL West to six by defeating the Rockies, 4-2, Saturday at Denver.

“I got the flu on Monday and tried to put it out of my mind,” Brown said. “If you can do that when you feel badly, you have a chance to succeed.”

Brown (18-5) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking four. He also broke a 2-2 tie with a sixth-inning double.

“Kevin wasn’t himself, but went out and gave us a great effort,” Padre Manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Padres hadn’t had an 18-game winner since Andy Hawkins went 18-8 in 1985. The Padres (91-51) matched their 1996 victory total and moved within one of the franchise record set in 1984, when they made their only trip to the World Series.

“I was lucky from the standpoint that the times I have felt badly, it has been a matter of fighting through that,” said Brown, who has pitched after root canal and played with bruised shins. “I had one inning [the fourth] where I had trouble with the strike zone. I tried everything I could to get the ball over the plate and got out of it.”

On offense, Steve Finley went three for four, including a two-run homer, and Quilvio Veras went two for four with a walk.

Montreal 7, Florida 1--Wilton Guerrero hit a two-run triple and brother Vladimir added a run-scoring triple for the Expos at Miami. It was the Marlins’ team-record 10th consecutive home loss.

Expo rookie Mike Thurman (3-3), winless in his six starts since July 30, gave up one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings, sending the Marlins to their ninth consecutive loss.

Marlin rookie Rafael Medina (1-3) didn’t give up a hit until Chris Widger singled leading off the fifth. Orlando Cabrera walked and Wilton Guerrero tripled to right past a diving Preston Wilson.

Cabrera added a two-run double in the sixth for a 4-0 lead, but the Marlins ended their 14-inning scoreless streak against the Expos in the sixth when Derrek Lee hit an RBI double against Anthony Telford.

Vladimir Guerrero added his triple in the seventh, and Widger added a two-run homer in the eighth, making him two for two with three runs scored.

Milwaukee 3, Philadelphia 2--Jose Valentin singled home the winning run as the Brewers rallied for two in the 14th inning at Milwaukee.

Pinch-hitter Ruben Amaro Jr. gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning with an RBI single against David Weathers (5-5), but Ricky Bottalico (1-4) walked Mark Loretta in the bottom half and Jeromy Burnitz tied the score with a two-out double.

Bottalico intentionally walked Marquis Grissom and Valentin singled to right, giving the Brewers their 10th victory in 13 extra-inning games.

The Brewers, who out-hit the Phillies, 13-6, stranded 16 runners and struck out 15 times.

The Phillies are 8-3 in extra-inning road games.

Scott Karl, winless in five starts since Aug. 9, gave up four hits in seven innings.

Phillie starter Carlton Loewer gave up nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.