McGwire, Sosa Take Back Seat

The Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa home run derby stalled Tuesday night while Kent Bottenfield took the spotlight.

The burly former Chicago Cub reliever showed why he’s become one of the St. Louis Cardinals’ top starters and one of the major leagues’ top winners.

“If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’ll probably win 20 every year,” Sosa said after Bottenfield won his 18th game in the Cardinals’ 7-2 win over the Cubs at Chicago.

Bottenfield (18-7) gave up one hit in six innings.

“When he was here, he didn’t have the experience he has now, that confidence,” Sosa said. “He went to St. Louis and has become a great pitcher. When something happens in your career, you change too. You try to show the other team that you can do it. Like when I was traded here from the White Sox.”

While McGwire and Sosa couldn’t connect, the Cardinals’ Fernando Tatis and Edgar Renteria’s did go deep. So did Chicago’s Shane Andrews, whose homer was the only hit given up by Bottenfield.

Tatis, who caught baseball’s attention early this season with two grand slams in the same inning, became only the 13th St. Louis player to hit 30 homers in a season. Renteria added a three-run homer in the ninth.

McGwire, who hit his 59th homer Monday night in the opener of the three-game series, went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly, a walk and three strikeouts. Sosa, who has 61 home runs, was 0 for 4 with a strikeout, two foulouts and a flyout.

Arizona 7, Colorado 6--Curtis Leskanic forced in the go-ahead run by walking Steve Finley with the bases loaded in the ninth inning at Denver.

Luis Gonzalez went four for four with a solo homer, and Damian Miller drove in three runs with the first multihomer game of his career.

Houston 6, Pittsburgh 3--Paul Bako’s apparent double-play grounder turned into a two-run double during the Astros’ four-run seventh inning at Pittsburgh.

Milwaukee 8, Philadelphia 6--Jeff Cirillo hit a three-run homer and added an RBI single for the Brewers at Milwaukee.

San Diego 6, Cincinnati 2--Reggie Sanders got back at his old team, hitting a three-run triple in the seventh and scoring on an error at San Diego, costing the Reds a game in the Central race. Cincinnati trails Houston by 3 1/2 games.

Florida 5-4, Montreal 3-0--Partially the result of tropical storm Harvey, fewer than 100 fans were in the stands for the start of the doubleheader at Miami, and only about 500 were on hand when Derrek Lee and Mark Kotsay hit run-scoring singles in the eighth inning of the opener.

Florida completed the sweep as Reid Cornelius (1-0) struck out six in six innings and got his first win for the Marlins. Rookie Julio Ramirez drove in his first two runs in the majors, Kevin Millar had an RBI triple and Preston Wilson drove in a run.

There was no rain, but the wind was 25 mph when the doubleheader began.

The stands were so quiet, individual conversations could be heard. The announced attendance was 8,468, smallest ever for the Marlins.