NL ROUNDUP : No. 18 for Maddux Is a Three-Hitter

The St. Louis Cardinals failed to get to Greg Maddux early. After that the four-time Cy Young Award winner was perfect.

Maddux won his eighth consecutive start and Chipper Jones hit his third homer in two games as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cardinals, 4-1, at Atlanta.

Maddux (18-6) gave up three hits, walked none and struck out seven in his third complete game. He got 16 outs on ground balls.

After giving up a one-out single to Alberto Castillo in the third inning, Maddux retired the last 23 batters.

“I threw good and the mistakes I made, I got away with,” Maddux said.

Maddux, who has won 12 of 13 starts with one no-decision since June 25, hasn’t lost since July 21.

Cincinnati 6, Chicago 3--Sammy Sosa hit his major league-leading 58th home run for the Cubs but the Reds got a three-run homer from Dmitri Young to win at Chicago.

Sosa pulled four homers ahead of Mark McGwire with a solo shot against Juan Guzman (5-2). Sosa needs 12 homers in his final 26 games to tie McGwire’s single-season record.

The Reds, coming off a homer binge in Philadelphia where they set a major league record with 14 over two games, scored five times in the fifth, capped by Young’s shot to left-center field.

Houston 6, Philadelphia 5--Jose Lima became the National League’s first 19-game winner as pinch-hitter Russ Johnson hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run sixth inning at Philadelphia.

Lima (19-7) gave up three earned runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one as the Astros maintained a 2 1/2-game lead over the Reds in the National League Central.

New York 3, San Francisco 0--Kenny Rogers pitched a four-hitter and struck out nine at New York in winning his 18th consecutive home decision.

Rogers (4-0) has two of the Mets’ three complete games.

Mike Piazza hit a sacrifice fly against Mark Gardner (4-10) in the sixth, and Rickey Henderson had a two-run single in the seventh as New York won for the 10th time in 13 games.

San Francisco pitcher Livan Hernandez left in the third inning because of tightness in his rib cage.

San Diego 4, Pittsburgh 3--Tony Gwynn hit his second go-ahead, three-run homer in four days and Andy Ashby limited the Pirates to five hits in seven-plus innings at Pittsburgh.

Todd Ritchie (12-9) gave up three runs and six hits in five innings. Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 36th save.

Colorado 5, Montreal 3--Dante Bichette hit his 29th homer and Pedro Astacio (15-10) hit a two-run triple and gave up three runs--two earned--and eight hits in eight-plus innings at Montreal.

After the game, the Expos released third baseman Shane Andrews, who was hitting .181 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs in 281 at-bats.