NL ROUNDUP : Atlanta Is Chipper After Beating Mets Again

Battered but not beaten, the Atlanta Braves are closing in on another division championship.

The injury-plagued Braves beat the New York Mets for the second night in a row Wednesday, winning at Atlanta, 5-2, to build a three-game lead over the Mets in the National League East with 10 games remaining.

The Braves got key contributions from the expected--Chipper Jones homered for the third time in two games--and the unexpected--Terry Mulholland escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth.

“This is exciting,” said Tom Glavine (12-11), who won for only the second time in eight starts. “It’s exciting to come to the park when the games mean something.”

This is the first September division race for the Braves in six years, but they look right at home, even with five players sidelined for the season.

Pinch-hitter Keith Lockhart broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh with a sacrifice fly, and Brian Jordan, plagued by a sore right hand, came through with a two-run single in the eighth.

“I almost cried,” said Jordan, who didn’t start the two previous games because of the pain. “I’ve not been producing lately. To produce in that situation meant a lot to the team and gave us a little bit of a comfort zone.”

Chicago 5, St. Louis 3--Even with the wind whipping out on a perfect day for home runs, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire couldn’t clear the fence at Chicago.

McGwire went 0 for 3 with two walks. Sosa, who leads the homer derby, 61-59, also walked twice in an 0-for-2 day.

The two home run rivals will go head-to-head three more times, in the final season series at St. Louis. Steve Trachsel (7-17) got the victory.

Arizona 11, Colorado 3--Matt Williams homered and drove in four runs and Andy Benes pitched eight strong innings and had three RBIs at Denver as the Diamondbacks drew closer to clinching the West division title.

Williams, who is 23 for 61 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in his last 14 games, hit a three-run homer, his 35th, and has a career-high 137 RBIs. Moments after the game, Diamondback Manager Buck Showalter exchanged heated words with an unidentified man accompanying Rockies co-vice chairman Dick Monfort.

The man was passing in front of the Diamondbacks’ third-base dugout. The man reportedly shouted at Showalter, who shouted back.

Showalter later had to be restrained by pitching coach Mark Connor.

“I don’t know who it was,” Showalter said. “I don’t think that needs to be discussed except to say it was something that was unfortunate.”

Philadelphia 12, Milwaukee 3--Ron Gant, Bobby Abreu and Rico Brogna each had two hits during an 11-run eighth inning at Milwaukee.

Philadelphia was held to one run and six hits through seven innings by Steve Woodard before breaking through in the eighth with four doubles, six singles and two hit batters.

The Phillies scored 11 runs in an inning for the first time since Sept. 24, 1981, when they did it against the Cardinals. Their record is 12 runs, set July 21, 1923, against the Cubs.

Pittsburgh 3, Houston 2--Todd Ritchie outpitched 20-game winner Jose Lima and the Pirates turned two key double plays in as many innings at Pittsburgh to slow the Astros’ run at a third consecutive division title.

Lima (20-9) lost his second start in a row since becoming the fifth 20-game winner in Astro history despite holding the Pirates to three runs and five hits and striking out 10 in eight innings. He was coming off his worst start of the season, an 11-8 loss to the Cardinals in which he lasted 3 2/3 innings.

Montreal 5, Florida 3--Orlando Merced and his replacement, James Mouton, each hit two-run doubles at Miami.

The Marlins had won five in a row against Montreal, including a doubleheader sweep Tuesday.

Miguel Batista (8-7) earned his first victory as a starter since June 11. He pitched five shutout innings of three-hit ball before Anthony Telford relieved to start the sixth.