Morris Good Enough to Beat Schilling

Twice in last season’s playoffs, Matt Morris pitched great in a duel with Arizona’s Curt Schilling and lost.

On Wednesday, Morris wasn’t so great and won.

Jim Edmonds hit a grand slam off Schilling as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from three runs down at Phoenix to end the Diamondbacks’ six-game winning streak, 8-4.

“That’s not the best Curt Schilling,” Edmonds said. “He didn’t have his best stuff.”

Edmonds, who also doubled and scored in the fourth inning, lined his first pitch from Schilling in the fifth inning into the left-field seats, the fourth slam of his career and sixth home run of the season.

“He threw a slider,” Edmonds said. “I was just trying to hit the ball in the air. I just hit it on the barrel, got lucky. I was trying to drive in one run there, not all four.”

Morris (4-0) gave up three runs in the first three innings on an RBI single and two-run homer by Luis Gonzalez, but grew stronger as the game went on to join Arizona’s Randy Johnson as the National League’s first four-game winners.

Morris gave up four runs and nine hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none. Jason Isringhausen pitched the last two innings for his second save.

Schilling (3-1) gave up six runs and nine hits, struck out seven and walked two in six innings in his first loss since Aug. 23. He was 4-0 in the postseason last year.

San Diego 5, San Francisco 3-- Ryan Klesko homered and drove in three runs as the Padres overcame an impressive homer by Barry Bonds to defeat the Giants at San Diego.

The Padres were 7-2 on their opening homestand after a 1-5 start on the road.

Bonds gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the first inning with his eighth homer, a 442-foot shot that reached the second deck in right field at Qualcomm Stadium.

Philadelphia 7, Florida 5--Scott Rolen, Pat Burrell and Mike Lieberthal each homered as the Phillies overcame a four-run deficit at Miami to end the Marlins’ three-game winning streak.

Rolen hit a solo shot in the eighth inning off Braden Looper (0-3) to break a 5-5 tie after Burrell and Lieberthal got the Phillies back in the game.

Houston 7, Cincinnati 2--Lance Berkman’s two-run homer, his fourth home run in two days, led the Astros over the Reds at Cincinnati.

Berkman, who drove in eight runs over the two games, became the seventh Astro player to homer four times in a two-game span.

Montreal 15, Chicago 8--Vladimir Guerrero hit a bases-loaded triple and single during an eight-run rally in the fourth inning and the Expos came back from a six-run deficit to defeat the Cubs at Montreal.

The Expos trailed, 6-0, after Tomo Ohka failed to retire any of the six batters he faced to begin the game. Bruce Chen (1-0) gave up Chris Stynes’ RBI single after relieving Ohka as the Cubs took a 6-0 lead with nobody out.

Atlanta 2, New York 1--Rafael Furcal drove in two runs with a triple and single as the Braves lost starter Greg Maddux early but ended a four-game losing streak with a victory at New York.

Kevin Millwood (2-1) pitched four innings of two-hit ball after Maddux was forced out after only one inning because of a recurrence of back pain.

Pittsburgh 3, Milwaukee 2--David Williams gave up two hits in five innings and drove in two runs, and the Pirates completed a three-game sweep at Milwaukee .

The Pirates have won seven consecutive road games for the first time since 1987.