Perez Homer Completes Comeback

Eduardo Perez’s home run cut came earlier in the at-bat. When he connected for the game-winning shot in the 11th inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, he was choking up on the bat.

Perez hit a 2-2 pitch from Luis Vizcaino (1-0) over the wall in left-center field with one out in the 11th to give the Cardinals their second consecutive victory by the same score in the three-game series. St. Louis rallied from a five-run deficit.

“On the 2-0 pitch I tried to at least get a ball that I could drive and it fooled me,” Perez said. “The 2-2 pitch I choked up and was just trying to put it in play. It gives you a better opportunity to put more of the meat of the bat on the ball.”

Edgar Renteria tied it in the ninth with a two-out, RBI single off Mike DeJean. Renteria’s third hit completed a Cardinal comeback from a 5-0 deficit.

San Diego 2, Arizona 1--Deivi Cruz homered off Rick Helling leading off the sixth inning at San Diego as the Padres completed a three-game sweep, their first of Arizona since April 1998.

San Diego has won four in a row against the defending World Series champions, who are 0-5 in games started by anyone other than Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling.

Montreal 9, Florida 7--Michael Barrett drove in a career-high six runs, giving him 13 RBIs in five games against Florida this season, as the Expos won at Miami in front of 5,422, the smallest home crowd in Marlin history.

Brad Penny (1-1), who entered 6-0 with an 0.82 ERA in six starts against Montreal, gave up seven runs, seven hits and five walks in 42/3 innings.

New York 3, Chicago 2--Roberto Alomar homered for the first time since being traded to the Mets and Mike Piazza followed with a home run of his own in the eighth inning for the victory at Chicago.

Kerry Wood struck out 10 and gave up only four hits over seven innings, leaving with a 2-1 lead and a blister on his middle finger. Jeff Fassero (0-2) gave up the home runs.

Colorado 4, Houston 1--Todd Zeile homered for the third consecutive game and Shawn Chacon (1-1) gave up one run and five hits in 61/3 innings to win at Denver.

Dave Mlicki (0-2), starting against Colorado for the first time since June 19, 1998, gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings.

Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 5--Barry Larkin and Aaron Boone each drove in two runs at Pittsburgh to end the Pirates’ five-game winning streak. Larkin left the game after aggravating a muscle strain in his left ribcage.