Smoltz Isn’t Wind-Aided Against Giants

It took a little help from the wind for a team to finally defeat John Smoltz.

Ellis Burks’ three-run homer in the first inning lifted the San Francisco Giants a 4-1 victory Monday over the Atlanta Braves on another windy night at San Francisco, sending Smoltz to his first loss of the season.

Russ Ortiz (5-2) gave up one run and four hits in eight-plus innings, settling down after Bret Boone’s solo homer in the first. Robb Nen got three outs for his National League-leading 12th save in 13 chances, walking the first batter before striking out the side.

Burks’ fifth homer of the season was a liner that carried over the right-field fence by cold winds gusting up to 35 mph. The wind was so strong that six security workers had to hold the center-field fence during the game to keep it from opening.

Jeff Kent had an RBI single off Kevin McGlinchy in the eighth for the Giants.

Smoltz (5-1) had been 9-0 in 10 previous starts since Sept. 6, and was 17-1 in 21 starts since the 1998 All-Star break.

Smoltz, who allowed five hits and struck out eight in seven innings, is 10-14 against San Francisco, the only NL team that he has a losing record against.

Atlanta’s Andruw Jones had two unusual umpiring calls go against him.

In the fifth, he was called out for runner’s interference when second base umpire Richard Rieker ruled Jones went out of his way to try to break up a double play. In the seventh, he reached first base on an infield single but was tagged out when first base umpire Bruce Dreckman ruled he had made a move toward second.

Houston 6, Pittsburgh 0--Mike Hampton pitched a five-hitter at Houston to win his fourth consecutive decision.

Hampton (4-1) struck out seven and walked none in his first shutout and complete game since a seven-hitter against the New York Mets on April 21, 1998.

Hampton, who got his fifth career shutout, has given up one run and seven hits in his last 16 innings, lowering his earned-run average to 2.83. He is 4-0 in his last five starts against the Pirates.

Pete Schourek (1-3) gave up six runs, nine hits and five walks in four innings for Pittsburgh.

Derek Bell’s sixth homer put Houston ahead in the third, and the Astros got five runs in the fifth, sending 10 batters to plate.

Colorado 10, New York 3--Henry Blanco hit his first home run since 1997 and Dante Bichette homered and tripled at Denver as the Rockies ended a losing streak at three games.

Blanco’s three-run homer was the second of his career, the other coming Sept. 28, 1997, when he played for the Dodgers.

Todd Helton drove in three runs for the Rockies. Luis Lopez and Jermaine Allensworth hit solo home runs for the Mets.

Pedro Astacio (3-3) won his third consecutive start, striking out seven in eight innings. Al Leiter (1-4) gave up eight hits and walked six in seven innings.

Mike Piazza had a run-scoring single for the Mets in the first. Both benches were warned in the second after Astacio hit Bobby Bonilla in the right knee. Bonilla left the game in the fourth.

San Diego 7, Florida 5--Reggie Sanders hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning for the Padres at San Diego.

Quilvio Veras drew a one-out walk from Antonio Alfonseca (0-4) in the eighth and Braden Looper relieved. Sanders hit the fourth pitch over the left-field wall for his seventh home run.

Dan Miceli (2-1) struck out the only two batters he faced. Trevor Hoffman pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save in six chances. The Marlins lost for the eighth time in 10 games.

Florida’s Cliff Floyd tied the score at 5-5 in the seventh with his second two-run homer in two games.

San Diego center fielder Ruben Rivera was carried off the field on a stretcher with a back injury. He was hurt making a headfirst dive on the warning track trying to catch Jorge Fabregas’ two-run double in the third.

X-rays were negative, but Rivera was to remain hospitalized overnight.

Arizona 7, Montreal 6--Jay Bell led off the ninth inning with his major league-leading 12th home run for the Diamondbacks at Phoenix.

Bell, who has hit home runs in three consecutive games and four of his last five, hit a 2-and-0 pitch against Bobby Ayala (0-3) that just cleared the left-field fence.

Randy Johnson gave up a career-high 13 hits and wasted a 5-0 lead. He gave up six runs in 7 2/3 innings, struck out seven, walked one, hit a batter and had a wild pitch.

Arizona’s Luis Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 23 games, the longest in the majors this season, with a soft single up the middle in the first inning. He was two for four, with a run-scoring double in the seventh.