Padres’ Klesko Has a Powerful Encore

Ryan Klesko is enjoying his nine-game hitting streak because he knows it won’t last forever.

Klesko hit two home runs for the second consecutive game and drove in three runs Tuesday night to lead the San Diego Padres to a 6-2 victory over the Astros at Houston.

“You go through one of these streaks once every year or once every other year,” Klesko said. “You always enjoy it and you always want to savor it because you always know you’re going to go through streaks where you struggle.”

Klesko led off the third with a solo homer against Scott Elarton (4-4) for a 4-0 lead, and hit a two-run homer in the fifth in the Padres’ fourth consecutive victory.

“I’ve been feeling good at the plate,” Klesko said. “This has been a good road trip. I’m seeing the ball good and everything is going good. The team is playing hard and we’re winning.”

Woody Williams (5-3) gave up two earned runs, eight hits and struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings to win his fourth consecutive decision.

After giving up a single to Jeff Bagwell and a walk to Lance Berkman in the eighth, Jay Witasick relieved Williams and pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings for his first major league save.

Klesko, who went two for three, hit two three-run home runs and a triple and drove in six runs Monday night in a 7-6 victory over the Astros.

Klesko, who has 31 RBIs in 19 games, is hitting .472 (17 for 36) during his streak.

Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 0--Jimmy Haynes gave up six hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings and Raul Casanova and Jose Hernandez drove in two runs apiece at Milwaukee.

Haynes (4-4), who hasn’t given up a run in his last 17 innings, stranded two runners in each of the first two innings and didn’t allow a runner to reach third. He struck out five, walked one and hit two.

After Haynes hit leadoff hitter Fernando Vina and cleanup hitter Albert Pujols in the first inning, umpire Joe Brinkman issued a warning to both benches and talked to both Haynes and Cardinal starter Darryl Kile.

Chicago 5, Cincinnati 3--Miguel Cairo led off the first inning with a homer for the Cubs and James Brower balked in the go-ahead run at Chicago.

Todd Dunwoody drove in two runs and Ron Coomer had a run-scoring double in the game, which was delayed 41 minutes by rain at the top of the fifth. Gary Matthews Jr. went three for four, matching his career high for hits. Courtney Duncan (2-1) gave up one hit and struck out one in one inning, and Tom Gordon struck out the side in the ninth for his third save.

Florida 3, Atlanta 2--Chuck Smith gave the Marlins another solid outing and Derrek Lee drove in two runs at Miami.

Smith (3-0) helped the Marlins beat John Smoltz for only the third time in 16 games. He gave up one run, six hits, struck out seven and walked two in 7 2/3 innings.

Smoltz, making his second start since October 1999 because of elbow surgery, gave up nine hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Montreal 3, New York 0--Tony Armas Jr. pitched seven shutout innings and Vladimir Guerrero hit a home run before the smallest crowd in 11 years at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

Only 4,186 saw Armas (4-5) extend his scoreless-innings streak to a career-best 19 2/3 innings before leaving because of a blister on his pitching hand.

It was Montreal’s smallest home crowd since Oct. 1, 1990, when 4,120 were on hand for the first game of a season-ending three-game sweep of the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, ppd., rain--The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.