Maddux Continues Impressive Streaks

Greg Maddux might be the only person in baseball who isn’t impressed with his ability to avoid walks.

Maddux won his 10th consecutive decision and extended his streak without a walk to 58 1/3 innings, pitching the Atlanta Braves over the Montreal Expos, 7-3, Friday night at Montreal.

“I don’t care about it because it’s something that, if you do care about it, it’s going to get in the way of pitching,” Maddux said. “Walks are part of pitching. Sometimes you have to walk somebody. Sometimes you have to pitch around somebody and that’s why I don’t care.”

Maddux (14-5) joined Arizona’s Curt Schilling and the Yankees’ Roger Clemens as the majors’ top winners.

“It’s not about how many guys you didn’t walk or how many guys you struck out, it’s about how many games you give your team a chance to win. That’s what it’s about. All the other stuff is not important, especially.”

Cincinnati 10, Florida 5--Marlin Manager Tony Perez received many warm ovations at Cincinnati, but Adam Dunn received the loudest applause for his first homer as the Reds pulled away to a victory.

Dunn hit a solo homer in the third inning, a drive into the second deck that was estimated at 425 feet and put the Reds ahead to stay in the third inning.

Perez, whose No. 24 is retired in the outfield, hadn’t managed a game in Cincinnati since General Manager Jim Bowden fired him 44 games into the 1993 season.

Milwaukee 8, San Diego 0--Jimmy Haynes pitched five-hit ball for seven innings at Milwaukee.

Richie Sexson, Henry Blanco and Ron Belliard homered for the Brewers, who won consecutive games for the first time since July 7-8 at San Francisco.

The Brewers jumped on Padre starter Bobby Jones (6-13) for three runs in each of the first two innings.

New York 6, Philadelphia 1--Mike Piazza homered twice at New York and Steve Trachsel defeated the Phillies for the second time in a week.

Piazza hit a two-run homer off rookie Dave Coggin (1-1) for a 3-1 lead in the third and hit his 25th homer in the seventh off Wayne Gomes.

Piazza’s two drives gave him 125 home runs for the Mets, moving him one past Todd Hundley for fourth place on the team’s career list.

Chicago 4, St. Louis 3--Michael Tucker hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning at Chicago, his first since joining the Cubs a week ago.

Tucker, acquired from Cincinnati on July 20, hit the first pitch from Jason Christiansen (1-1) through a 14-mph wind and over the fence in right.

Jeff Fassero (4-2) pitched a scoreless eighth and Tom Gordon finished the ninth for his 20th save, striking out Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds.

Pittsburgh 3, Houston 2--Aramis Ramirez’s 20th home run broke a sixth-inning tie at Pittsburgh.

Ramirez hit the first pitch of the inning from Shane Reynolds (9-10) over the center-field fence as Pittsburgh ended a three-game losing streak.