Maddux Looks Like His Old Self Against Punchless Marlins

Even though he was not selected to the National League All-Star team for the first time since 1993, Greg Maddux served notice Wednesday night. He is back.

The four-time Cy Young Award winner, who struggled through May and much of June, gave up one run in six innings before leaving with a bruised foot in the Atlanta Braves’ 7-3 victory over the Florida Marlins at Atlanta.

“It’s no big deal,” Maddux said after X-rays showed no damage. “It feels fine.”

Maddux (9-5) departed after getting hit on the top of his left foot by Bruce Aven’s grounder with two outs in the sixth inning. Maddux threw Aven out on the play and limped off the field.

After the game, his foot looked only slightly discolored by a red mark. Maddux confirmed he will start the Braves’ last game of the first half Sunday against Boston on three days’ rest.

The right-hander gave up three hits and no walks with five strikeouts to win his third straight start. He is 4-2 with an 0.73 earned-run average in his last six starts. He has given up 28 hits and nine walks in that span.

Preston Wilson ended Maddux’s string of 20 consecutive scoreless innings with his 18th homer in the fifth. Before Wilson’s homer, Maddux had not given up a run since losing, 2-1, at Montreal on June 22.

The Braves won for the fifth time in six games against the Marlins by jumping on Florida starter Ryan Dempster (4-5) for a 3-0 lead in the first.

San Diego 5, San Francisco 2--Trevor Hoffman, named to the All-Star team earlier in the day, pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning as the Padres avoided a three-game sweep at home.

After Donne Wall loaded the bases on two walks and a single, Hoffman came on and struck out left-handed pinch-hitters Marvin Benard and Brent Mayne on changeups. He then pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save, tied for the National League lead.

Rookie Ben Davis drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning and Phil Nevin added a pinch-hit, two-run single for the Padres.

Arizona 13, Houston 7--The Diamondbacks tied a club record with five home runs, including two by Steve Finley, to pound the Astros at Phoenix.

Finley, who had gone 21 games without a homer, had his fourth two-homer game of the season. He hit two-run shots against reliever Trever Miller in the sixth and seventh innings to increase his season total to 17.

Arizona’s other three homers came with two outs in a six-run third inning.

Matt Williams hit a two-run shot, Damian Miller had a three-run homer and Andy Fox hit a solo shot against Astro starter Wade Miller (0-1) in his major league debut.

Williams’ home run was his 22nd of the season. He also had an RBI single, giving him a league-best 78 RBIs this season.

Craig Biggio had a home run, two doubles and a single for the Astros. Jeff Bagwell’s 27th home run, against starter Brian Anderson, drove in three runs in the third.

St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1--Darren Bragg’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Cardinals the victory at St. Louis.

Scott Williamson (7-3) had pitched two hitless innings before blowing the game in the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Willie McGee reached on a throwing error by shortstop Barry Larkin to start the inning. Bragg followed with his fourth home run.

Philadelphia 5, Milwaukee 4--Scott Rolen’s homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth atoned for a blown lead in the top of the inning at Philadelphia.

Rolen couldn’t handle Ron Belliard’s bad-hop double into the left-field corner that capped a two-run ninth to tie the score. But he won the game with a shot off Bob Wickman (2-4). It was his 19th homer.

Randy Wolf, the Phillies’ 22-year-old rookie, failed to become the team’s first pitcher since Marty Bystrom in 1980 to start his career 5-0. Wolf labored through a 39-pitch first inning and left after six with the score tied, 2-2.

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago 1--Keith Osik doubled to start a three-run seventh or the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Francisco Cordova (4-4), who made the best start of his injury-interrupted season, gave up five hits and one run in his first complete game.

Montreal 3, New York 1--Luis Lopez’s error in the eighth inning allowed the go-ahead run to score at New York and help the Expos end a five-game losing streak.