Grace Homer Beats Marlins

The Chicago Cubs are thankful the Florida Marlins limited Alex Fernandez’s pitch count Tuesday night. Otherwise, Mark Grace wouldn’t have had much chance to be a hero.

With Fernandez out of the way, Grace hit a three-run home run in the 11th inning off knuckleballer Dennis Springer as the Cubs defeated the Marlins, 4-1, at Miami, the Marlins’ 10th consecutive home loss.

“We hung around and finally got the big blow,” Grace said.

Mickey Morandini and Sammy Sosa each looped one-out singles in the 11th against Springer (1-5) before Grace ripped a 2-and-1 pitch into the right-field seats.

Grace’s sixth homer of the season ended what began as a night of frustration for Cub batters, who managed only two hits through seven innings as Fernandez made a dynamic return from the disabled list.

Fernandez, out the past two weeks because of a pulled groin, struck out five. He faced only one batter over the minimum and allowed one runner to reach second. The right-hander threw 81 pitches--four shy of his limit--48 for strikes.

“I was glad he was on a pitch count, or else he’d have thrown 12 shutout innings,” Grace said. “He wears us out.”

Cincinnati 5, Colorado 3--Sean Casey’s two-run double in the ninth broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Reds past the Rockies at Denver for their fourth consecutive victory.

With two on and one out, Casey doubled off the wall against Dave Wainhouse for the game-winner.

Danny Graves pitched three innings to earn the victory, and Scott Williamson pitched the ninth for his fourth save as the Reds reached .500 for the first time since May 16, 1998.

Milwaukee 4, New York 2--Marquis Grissom hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Brewers over the Mets at New York.

With Milwaukee trailing, 2-1, Brian Banks led off the eighth with a bunt single against reliever Dennis Cook and Jeromy Burnitz followed with a single, putting runners at first and third.

Armando Benitez came on and struck out Jeff Cirillo and Dave Nilsson, but Grissom then hit a 3-and-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his third homer, sending the Mets to their third loss in a row.

Atlanta 12, Pittsburgh 4--Chipper Jones drove in three runs with a solo home run and two-run double, and Javy Lopez hit a three-run homer as the Braves won at home.

Jones, mired in a nine-for-50 (.180) slide entering the game, hit his ninth homer of the season in the third and added his double in a three-run sixth inning off former Brave Jason Schmidt.

Jones is batting .550 (11 for 20) with four home runs in his career against Schmidt.

Ryan Klesko also homered for the Braves and Lopez tied his career high with four hits.

Montreal 7, Philadelphia 4--Rondell White homered in consecutive at-bats and went three for three with three RBIs as the Expos stopped a seven-game losing streak with a victory at Montreal.

White hit a two-run home run off Joel Bennett in the third and added a solo shot--his seventh homer of the season--to cap a five-run fourth. White, who also walked, has five career two-homer games.

Only 4,660 were on hand to see the Expos, who are 5-16 at Olympic Stadium this season, win for only the fifth time in their last 24 games. Montreal is averaging a major league low 9,842 in 21 home dates.