Hernandez Continues Sharp April

Livan Hernandez has discovered the secret to a fast start.

Hernandez won his fourth consecutive outing despite another home run by Lance Berkman, and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Houston Astros, 3-2, at Houston on Friday night.

Before this season, Hernandez (4-0) was 4-13 lifetime during March and April in five seasons.

“I changed my program this spring,” Hernandez said. “I’m stronger and I feel good. I did things differently. I ran more in the off-season and it’s worked. I’ve gotten in better condition each year I’ve played.”

Reggie Sanders hit a two-run double, and Rich Aurilia homered for the Giants.

Hernandez pitched seven innings and gave up six hits, including homers by Berkman and Richard Hidalgo. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.

“Being 4-0 at this stage of the season is pretty awesome,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “He’s got more endurance, that’s No. 1. He also has more velocity, more movement.”

Berkman hit his ninth home run of the season, moving ahead of San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds for the major league lead. Bonds singled twice and drew three walks in five plate appearances.

Berkman’s homer in the second made it 1-0. Shane Reynolds (2-2) held off the Giants until the fifth, when Sanders doubled home two runs with two out.

Aurilia hit his first homer of the season in the seventh. Hidalgo homered in the bottom half.

Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

“You’re ending up facing the meat of their batting order,” Baker said. “That was like a huge inning. He looked great.”

Nen struck out Brad Ausmus, Jeff Bagwell and Berkman to end the game.

“My slider was the best I’ve had all year, and my fastball has been there all year but as far as location, it was as good tonight as it’s ever been,” Nen said. “Today, they were both there and it was a good time for them to come together against those three guys.”

Colorado 8, Arizona 6--Todd Helton tripled twice and drove in four runs at Phoenix as the Rockies ended a seven-game losing streak against the Diamondbacks.

Helton’s bases-loaded triple put the Rockies ahead, 7-3, in the seventh inning. He then scored his third run on Todd Hollandsworth’s squeeze bunt.

Helton hit two triples in each of the last two seasons.

Greg Norton had a two-run homer for the Rockies. His sacrifice bunt in the sixth set up Benny Agbayani’s grounder off Brian Anderson (0-2), giving Colorado a 4-3 lead.

The Rockies were swept in a four-game series by Arizona at Coors Field last weekend.

Denny Neagle (2-1) gave up solo homers to Luis Gonzalez and Jose Guillen.

Montreal 5, New York 3--Lee Stevens hit a three-run homer, and the Mets made three errors, increasing their major league-leading total to 24, as the Expos won at Montreal. Roberto Alomar, a 10-time Gold Glove at second, made his first two errors of the season.

Tony Armas Jr. (2-2) gave up two runs--one earned--in 62/3 innings. Steve Trachsel (1-3), who defeated Armas on Sunday, gave up four unearned runs in the third. Matt Herges pitched a perfect ninth for his first save with the Expos.

Atlanta 3, Florida 2--Darren Holmes (1-0) won for the first time since Sept. 7, 1999, with Arizona, and Chipper Jones hit a go-ahead grounder in the eighth as the Braves overcame two Cliff Floyd homers at Atlanta.

Andruw Jones hit a two-run homer off Ryan Dempster (0-1), who got his fifth complete game in 107 career starts. John Smoltz got his fourth save, leaving the bases loaded in the ninth when Andy Fox flied out.

Chicago 5, Cincinnati 2--Matt Clement (1-2) matched his career high by striking out 12 for the second game in a row, and Roosevelt Brown hit a two-run homer to lead the Cubs at Chicago.

Clement gave up only four hits over seven shutout innings. He also had an RBI as he earned his first victory with the Cubs, who acquired him from Florida late in spring training.

Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 1--Ruben Quevedo (1-1) ended a career-long four-game losing streak and the Brewers won their second in a row under interim Manager Jerry Royster.

Quevedo gave up seven hits over 71/3 innings at Milwaukee as the Brewers posted consecutive victories for the first time this season. Luis Vizcaino got four outs for his first save.

Pittsburgh 7, Philadelphia 4--Armando Rios’ two-run single in a four-run eighth inning lifted the injury-depleted Pirates over the Phillies at Pittsburgh.

The Central Division-leading Pirates squandered a three-run lead but still won their fourth in a row to improve to 10-5--their best start since opening 12-3 in 1992, when they won their last division title.