Holt Rebounds From Scare to Beat Pirates

Chris Holt remembered what it was like to get hit in the face with a line drive, and it might have made him a better pitcher Monday night at Houston.

Holt didn’t give up a hit for six innings and finished with a five-hitter as the Houston Astros routed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 16-2.

Holt pitched for the first time since Aug. 4, when Montreal’s Peter Bergeron hit a line drive off his cheek. Holt sat out one start because of a black eye and facial swelling.

“I was a little timid at first,” said Holt, whose left eye is still black and filled with blood in the lower right corner. “It was good that I had a couple of hits back at me.

“It definitely made a difference for me pitching. I used to fall off to the side more after I threw, and now I’m staying in the middle more. I think that helped my pitching.”

Holt pitched his third complete game, striking out five and walking four. He was helped by double plays in the second and third innings after a hit batter and a walk.

“Holt did a great job,” Manager Larry Dierker said. “To be able to go out there after what happened in his last start and having 10 days off. . . . You’ve got to give him a lot of credit.”

Brian Giles broke up the no-hit bid when he led off the seventh with a ball that went off the glove of shortstop Tim Bogar. Second baseman Julio Lugo then picked up the ball and threw to first, but it wasn’t in time and Bogar hit his glove in disgust.

“It was unfortunate I didn’t come up with the ball,” Bogar said. “I felt like climbing under second base.”

Moises Alou had two homers for the second game in a row as Houston had 19 hits for the second consecutive game.

Colorado 4, Montreal 3--Todd Helton homered twice, including a go-ahead, two-run drive in the ninth inning at Montreal as the Rockies completed a four-game sweep. Helton went three for five to raise his average to .394.

With the Rockies trailing, 3-0, in the eighth, he homered off Anthony Telford. Then, after Jeff Cirillo hit an RBI single with two out in the ninth, Helton hit a two-run homer off Scott Strickland (4-3), who has blown three of five save chances.

Arizona 4, Philadelphia 3--Matt Williams had three RBIs, including a tiebreaking single in the 11th inning at Philadelphia.

Randy Johnson gave up two runs--one earned--and five hits in six innings. He had 10 of Arizona’s 16 strikeouts but walked four and for the fifth consecutive start failed to win.

Curt Schilling returned to Philadelphia for the first time since a five-player trade sent him to Arizona on July 26. But Schilling, the Phillies’ former ace, isn’t scheduled to pitch in the series.

Jay Bell led off the 11th with a double off Jeff Brantley (1-7), took third on a groundout by Luis Gonzalez and scored on Williams’ single.

Chicago 7, St. Louis 3--Sammy Sosa hit his 37th homer to tie Gary Sheffield for the major league lead, and the Cubs broke a 25-inning scoreless streak at Chicago.

Jon Lieber (11-5) won his sixth decision in a row and matched his career high for victories, giving up eight hits and three runs in six innings. He hasn’t lost since June 23, a stretch of 10 starts.

Shut out by the Reds in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday, the Cubs began the game without a run in 22 innings and were blanked for three more by Andy Benes (10-7) before breaking through with four in the fourth.

Atlanta 9, San Diego 2--Tom Glavine became the NL’s second 15-game winner and Andres Galarraga hit a tiebreaking, two-run double at Atlanta.

Javy Lopez added a three-run homer in the fifth inning for the Braves, who ended San Diego’s winning streak at four games.

Glavine (15-6) won for the eighth time in nine decisions and matched Johnson for the most wins in the league.

Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 3--Richie Sexson’s seventh-inning single scored Geoff Jenkins with the go-ahead run at Milwaukee.

Elmer Dessens (5-3), who pitched well but lost his third consecutive start, held the Brewers to five hits over the first six innings before getting into trouble in the seventh.