Lockhart’s Clutch Double Lifts Braves, 6-3

This was one of the few times the Atlanta Braves left Pittsburgh happy despite winning only once in a three-game series.

Keith Lockhart’s three-run, pinch-hit double broke an eighth-inning tie Thursday night as the Braves rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-3, by scoring the final five runs at Three Rivers Stadium.

“It’s a big relief,” Brian Jordan of the Braves said. “Keith Lockhart got a big hit and I hope it gets us going.”

The Braves, who had lost 11 of 17, avoided being swept at Pittsburgh for the first time since May 1994 and closed to within 1 1/2 games of the idle New York Mets in the National League East. Atlanta fell out of a first-place tie by losing Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We haven’t had a lot of offense lately, so we knew it had to turn it around sometime,” Lockhart said. “I’m glad it was tonight. We have to turn it up a little more now.”

Earlier in the evening, Mark McGwire’s 500th homer--hit in St. Louis--was shown on the video scoreboard and met with mixed cheers and boos from the crowd of 19,078.

McGwire and the Cardinals begin a four-game series at Pittsburgh today and many fans had hoped to see him hit his 500th. The Pirates have a big advance sale for today’s doubleheader and Saturday night’s game.

On Thursday, the Braves trailed, 3-1, before tying the score with two runs against Pete Schourek in the seventh, then went ahead in the eighth against Greg Hansell (1-2).

Mike Remlinger (3-1) pitched a scoreless seventh for the victory. John Rocker finished up in the ninth for his 22nd save.

“I don’t think it’s that we haven’t been hitting, it’s that we saw some really good pitching here,” said Brave Manager Bobby Cox, who sat out the second game of a two-game suspension.

In the eighth, Hansell walked Chipper Jones with one out and Brian Jordan singled. Andruw Jones grounded out for the second out, but Jose Hernandez walked ahead of Lockhart’s bases-clearing double into the gap in right-center on a 3-2 pitch.

Philadelphia 9, Florida 3--Backup catcher Gary Bennett hit his first major league home run and drove in a career-high four runs at Miami.

The victory gave the Phillies a sweep of the three-game series and improved their 1999 record against Florida to 11-2. The Marlins have lost five in a row and seven of eight.

Bennett’s homer, in his 113th major league at-bat, staked the Phillies to a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

“That was a big thrill, it took a while to get it,” said Bennett, who added an RBI single in the ninth. “I’m not a home run hitter, but every now and then I get one.”

Bennett was in the lineup to give starter Mike Lieberthal a night off.

The Phillies (60-48) are 12 games above .500 for the first time since July 7, 1995.

Robert Person (6-3) won for the fifth time in six outings since coming to the Phillies in a May trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched six innings, giving up one run and six hits, struck out three and walked two.

The Phillies fourth-inning runs were all unearned as the result of a fielding error by Marlin third baseman Mike Lowell that allowed Scott Rolen to reach with one out. Rico Brogna followed with a single and, one out later, Bennett homered over the left-field scoreboard.

Six Phillie runs were unearned.

“We were dreadful,” said Marlin Manager John Boles. “There’s no excuse for the way we played defensively.”

Colorado 2, Cincinnati 1--Pedro Astacio dominated the Reds for the second time in three weeks, outpitching Juan Guzman at Cincinnati.

The Rockies have beaten the Reds only twice in nine games this season, both times with Astacio (12-9) on the mound. The right-hander pitched a four-hitter this time, helping the Rockies avoid a second three-game sweep by the Reds this season.

Astacio struck out nine and walked two in his fifth complete game, matching Roger Bailey’s franchise record from 1997.

Cincinnati lost for only the third time in 12 games despite a solid debut by Guzman (0-1), who was making his debut for the Reds after being obtained from the Baltimore Orioles for two minor leaguers shortly before the trading deadline Saturday night.

Guzman gave up eight hits and three walks in eight innings but was a victim of Mike Cameron’s misplay in center field, which turned Neifi Perez’s soft fly into a go-ahead double in the fourth.