Kent Provides Punch for Giants

Jeff Kent homered and drove in three runs as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies, 7-3, on Saturday at Denver.

The Giants moved into the National League wild-card lead by a half-game over the Dodgers.

“We need him,” Barry Bonds said of Kent. “If he keeps hitting the way he did today, I like our chances.”

Kent, last year’s most valuable player in the NL after batting .334 with 33 homers and 125 runs batted in, hasn’t been as productive this season. He’s batting .296 with 19 homers and 89 RBIs.

Bonds was homerless for the second consecutive game in hitter-friendly Coors Field. Bonds, who leads the majors with 60 homers, had a single in five at-bats.

With 19 games to play, Bonds needs 10 home runs to tie the major league record of 70 set by Mark McGwire in 1998.

J.T. Snow had two runs batted in for the Giants, and Kirk Rueter (13-11) pitched 52/3 innings for the victory.

Arizona 8, San Diego 6--Trevor Hoffman blew a save for the first time in 27 tries and Matt Williams hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to lift the Diamondbacks at Arizona.

Steve Finley homered twice, including a game-tying shot against Hoffman in the ninth.

The Diamondbacks remained 11/2 games ahead of San Francisco and widened their lead to two games over the Dodgers in the NL West.

After Byung-Hyun Kim (5-5) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, San Diego’s Wascar Serrano (3-3) walked Mark Grace to lead off the Arizona half of the inning before Williams’ homer.

Atlanta 5, Chicago 3--Tom Glavine (14-7) gave up four hits before leaving in the sixth inning because of a blister and Chipper Jones hit his 35th homer for the Braves at Chicago.

Jones left in the eighth inning because of a sore right groin.

The Braves kept their NL East lead at 31/2 games over Philadelphia.

The Cubs lost their fourth in a row and remained 51/2 games behind Houston in the NL Central.

Chicago trails the Giants by a game in the wild-card race.

Philadelphia 6, Montreal 0--Randy Wolf pitched a six-hitter at Montreal for his first career shutout and the Phillies won for only the third time in 11 games.

Making his 74th career start, Wolf (7-10) walked two and struck out five in his third complete game this season.

Jimmy Rollins had his fourth four-hit game for the Phillies, including a leadoff homer against Tomo Ohka (1-4).

Milwaukee 7, Houston 2--Ruben Quevedo pitched five-hit ball for seven innings and Richie Sexson homered and drove in three runs at Houston.

Quevedo (4-2) gave up a run in the first inning but settled down and retired 10 of 11 batters during one stretch. He gave up two runs, struck out four and walked four.

Ron Villone (6-6) gave up five runs and seven hits in 32/3 innings. He struck out six.

Astro pitchers tied a season high by striking out 15 batters. Milwaukee has struck out 1,211 times, 57 short of the major league season record set by Detroit in 1996.

New York 9, Florida 7--Matt Lawton’s two-run double sparked New York’s three-run ninth inning at Miami and the Mets won for the 17th time in 21 games.

After John Franco (5-2) couldn’t protect a 6-5 lead in the eighth, the Mets rallied in the ninth against closer Antonio Alfonseca (3-4) for their sixth consecutive victory.

Desi Relaford had four hits and three RBIs for the Mets.

Pittsburgh 5, Cincinnati 2--Jimmy Anderson stopped a seven-game losing streak with his first complete game this season, and Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer at Pittsburgh.

Anderson (7-16), who had not won since defeating St. Louis on July 22, gave up nine hits.

Ramirez’s two-run shot off Elmer Dessens (9-12) in the sixth followed Brian Giles’ leadoff single and gave him 101 RBIs in his first full season.

Ramirez is the 11th player in team history to hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs in a season.