Two Slams, Two Wins for Astros

A grand slam won the first game and another slam won the second.

More than five weeks later, Larry Dierker and the Houston Astros finally finished their suspended game against the San Diego Padres, winning Friday night at Houston, 4-3, behind the grand slam Derek Bell hit June 13.

Matt Mieske then hit the third grand slam of his career to break an eighth-inning tie as the Astros rallied past former teammate Donne Wall, 7-4, in the second game. Mike Hampton (13-3) pitched his third complete game of the season, giving up eight hits.

“I wasn’t here when Derek hit his,” said Mieske, obtained June 20 from the Seattle Mariners. “So that makes it kind of neat that we won both games on grand slam homers.”

The first game had been suspended when Dierker collapsed in the dugout from a seizure. The Astro manager had brain surgery two days later to repair abnormal blood vessels and returned last week after the All-Star break.

“I had this one logged as a win, although I knew anything could happen,” he said after the opener. “I’ve been counting this win for about a month now.’

Dierker was glad to get the suspended game over with.

“I don’t say there is a sense of closure. That’s too romantic,” the manager said. “But there is a finality to it. This doesn’t give a different sense of accomplishment. It’s just a game we were supposed to win and we won it.”

St. Louis 6, Colorado 4--Mark McGwire hit his 34th home run, one short of major league leader Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs, as the Cardinals won at Denver.

McGwire, two for four with a walk, has seven home runs in his last nine games. He hit a solo homer to straightaway center in the seventh.

Philadelphia 6-1, Atlanta 5-3--Rookie Bruce Chen pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings and Bret Boone broke an eighth-inning tie when he scored on a wild pitch to help the Braves to a doubleheader split at Philadelphia.

Kevin Jordan went two for four with three RBIs, including a key two-run single, as the Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit to win the opener.

Montreal 5, Pittsburgh 1--The Expos scored five runs in the first inning and Javier Vazquez pitched a four-hitter at Montreal to become the first Expo starter in nearly a month to win.

Vazquez (3-5) got the first complete game of his career to end Montreal’s three-game losing streak and extend the Pirates’ losing streak to five.

Vazquez, the losing pitcher in David Cone’s perfect game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, retired the first 14 batters he faced before Warren Morris hit an infield single with two out in the fifth. He struck out seven and walked one.

New York 5, Chicago 4--Mike Piazza’s two-out single broke a seventh-inning tie at New York.

Florida 5, Milwaukee 4--Jorge Fabregas’ two-out single in the ninth inning completed a comeback by the Marlins, who took advantage of sloppy play by the Brewers at Miami.