Aurilia Delivers in Giant Victory

Although Rich Aurilia has had three four-hit games this season, the only one the San Francisco Giants won was against the New York Mets.

So he smiles when asked to pick his favorite.

“You try to enjoy all of them, because you never know when the next one’s going to happen,” he said.

Aurilia went four for five with a solo homer Saturday as the Giants defeated the Mets, 10-3, at San Francisco, handing the Mets their fifth consecutive loss.

Aurilia, batting a National League-leading .389, had his eighth four-hit game. His two others this season were during losses to the Cincinnati Reds on April 25 and 26.

“You take them as they come,” he said. “Then you forget about them and think about tomorrow.”

The Giants have won three consecutive games and five of six. The slumping Mets have won only one of their last seven games and are 6-15 on the road after losing two in a row to the Giants.

“We’re obviously very frustrated. We’re not a very good ballclub right now,” Met catcher Mike Piazza said. “We’re not having much fun at all.”

Russ Ortiz (6-1) gave up one run and seven hits in six innings, winning his third consecutive start. He struck out seven and walked one.

“I feel great. My mechanics feel great,” Ortiz said. “I have my rhythm on every pitch.”

Houston 2-4, Cincinnati 1-5--Alex Ochoa singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning of the nightcap to give the Reds a doubleheader split at Cincinnati.

In the opener, Craig Biggio homered, doubled and scored the tiebreaking run on Deion Sanders’ latest outfield misplay.

Sanders misplayed Lance Berkman’s fly into a decisive double in the first game. He was on the bench in the second game when Berkman hit his first pinch homer, a three-run shot against Danny Graves (2-1) that tied the score at 4-4 with two outs in the ninth.

“I have not been a very good pinch-hitter,” said Berkman, who had been one for 27 as a pinch-hitter. “I still don’t consider myself a good pinch-hitter. I had a good swing at one pitch. I wanted something over the plate that I could take a shot at maybe tying the game. Fortunately, he gave me the pitch I was looking for.”

Octavio Dotel (1-3) got the first two outs in the bottom of the ninth before Ruben Rivera singled, Sean Casey walked and Ochoa lined an 0-and-2 pitch to right-center field for the victory.

St. Louis 5, Chicago 2--Matt Morris won his fourth consecutive decision as the Cardinals continued a perfect homestand.

Albert Pujols had three hits, including his 12th home run in the Cardinals’ eighth. J.D. Drew followed with his 13th homer.

Jim Edmonds and Fernando Vina each had two hits and an RBI for St. Louis, which is 6-0 on the homestand with one game to go. The Cardinals have won seven in a row at home overall.

Montreal 8, Colorado 4--Geoff Blum hit a two-run homer and Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Vidro and Michael Barrett had solo shots for the Expos at Denver.

Tony Armas Jr. (2-5) pitched five scoreless innings after giving up four runs in the first inning.

Armas, who had a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings of his previous start, went six innings, giving up five hits and four runs. He struck out seven and walked three as the Expos ended the Rockies’ four-game winning streak.

The Expos’ outburst helped spoil the comeback of Rocky starter John Thomson (0-1). Once one of the team’s most promising prospects, Thomson hadn’t pitched in the majors in 19 1/2 months after shoulder surgery at the end of the 1999 season.

Milwaukee 5, Pittsburgh 4--Jeromy Burnitz singled home the winning run in the 12th inning at Milwaukee.

Joe Beimel (2-1) entered in the 12th and gave up a leadoff walk to Tyler Houston. Devon White singled and Burnitz, who was 0 for 5, looped a single to right-center field as Houston scored from second.

Philadelphia 6, Arizona 5--Pat Burrell singled home Gary Bennett in the 10th inning at Phoenix.

Reggie Sanders hit two two-run home runs, and Luis Gonzalez hit his major league-leading 17th homer as Arizona rallied from five runs down to send the game to extra innings.

Bennett singled against Miguel Batista (1-2) to lead off the 10th, then Travis Lee walked. Burrell followed with his run-scoring single to left.

Catcher Mike Lieberthal of the Phillies suffered a right knee injury when he was picked off at first base in the second inning. General Manager Ed Wade said Lieberthal will be placed on the 15-day disabled list and will undergo an MRI Monday when the team returns to Philadelphia.