Glavine Has Worst Start of Career in Loss

Atlanta’s Tom Glavine appears to be in a strange state of mind these days.

“I think I pitched, strange as it may sound, probably a lot better than the score would indicate,” he said Monday night at Milwaukee.

It did sound strange, because the score indicated he had just given up nine runs in 2 2/3 innings of the Brewers’ 10-7 win.

Glavine (3-5) has never had a worse outing. He gave up 11 hits--at least one to each position player--walked three, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch.

“They hit a lot of good pitches and a few bad ones,” said Glavine, who had given up eight runs in a game three times in his career.

He gave up four runs in the first inning, one in the second and four more in third, and his earned-run average jumped from 4.45 to 5.54.

This for the defending Cy Young Award winner.

Steve Woodard (4-4), who gave up eight runs in his previous start, surrendered only three runs and eight hits in seven innings this time.

Marquis Grissom drove in three runs, and Jeromy Burnitz and Jeff Cirillo each had two RBIs for Milwaukee, which built a 9-1 lead after three innings.

“We made him throw strikes,” Grissom said of Glavine. “He threw some pretty tough pitches. We stayed ahead in the count, which helps a lot. He had to come with a strike and I think that’s the most important thing that happened all night. We stayed ahead in the count.”

Florida 7, Chicago 5--Kevin Millar hit a bizarre three-run, inside-the-park homer with two out in the ninth inning off new Cub reliever Rick Aguilera to lead the Marlins, who rallied for four runs to win at Chicago.

Chicago had a 5-3 lead headed into the ninth but Aguilera (0-1), in his Wrigley Field debut for the Cubs, surrendered singles to Bruce Aven, Luis Castillo and Cliff Floyd to make the score 5-4.

Millar, just called up from triple-A four days ago, lifted a high fly to right field that Sammy Sosa leaped for but missed as it hit high in the ivy.

A bewildered Sosa couldn’t locate the ball and it laid on the ground near the ivy.

By the time center fielder Jose Hernandez ran over to retrieve the ball, Millar raced around the bases. He scored on his first homer by sliding around catcher Benito Santiago on a relay from shortstop Jeff Blauser.

Philadelphia 5, Montreal 4--Expo pitcher Miguel Batista hit his first homer, but blew a two-run lead at Philadelphia.

Batista (3-2), who was three for 56 at the plate in his career, hit a two-run homer off rookie Joel Bennett in the fifth inning to give Montreal a 3-2 lead.

But he gave up three runs in the sixth and left the game after the inning trailing, 5-4.

Desi Relaford put the Phillies ahead for good with a two-run double off Batista with two out in the sixth inning.

Pittsburgh 7, New York 4--Jason Kendall’s three-run homer in the first inning spoiled Jason Isringhausen’s first major league start in 20 months, and Warren Morris and Ed Sprague also homered for the Pirates at Pittsburgh, which won despite giving up 11 walks.

The Pirate bullpen bailed out starter Francisco Cordova when Jose Silva (2-2) followed with 3 1/3 effective relief innings and Scott Sauerbeck worked out of a major jam in the eighth. Mike Williams pitched the ninth for his eighth save for Pittsburgh.

It was Isringhausen’s first start since Sept. 23, 1997, in his last outing before undergoing reconstructive right elbow surgery.

Houston 5, Colorado 2--Shane Reynolds pitched a nine-hitter for his first complete game of the season and the Astros took advantage of Lenny Harris’ Colorado-record three errors to win at Houston.

The Astros beat Brian Bohanon (6-2) to improve to 12-2 against left-handed starters.

Arizona 6, San Diego 5--Steve Finley drove in three runs with a single and double for the Diamondbacks in their win at Phoenix.

Finley singled with the bases loaded in the first inning to drive in two runs, then added an RBI double in the third.

Andy Benes (3-5), a loser in his last three starts, got the victory.

He gave up four runs and 10 hits in six innings.