Guerrero Does a Number on Schilling

Vladimir Guerrero was locked in on a rare Curt Schilling mistake.

Guerrero hit his second game-ending homer against Arizona in this series, connecting with one out in the ninth inning off Schilling to give the Expos a 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks on Thursday night at Montreal.

“He always challenges me and throws me balls around the strike zone,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “The first three at-bats, I missed that same pitch. I went in looking for it, got it, and made contact for us to win it.”

Guerrero--hitless in his first three at-bats--hit Schilling’s first pitch over the left-field wall for his 28th homer of the season.

“I threw four pitches in three at-bats to him before that at-bat,” Schilling said. “They were all the same and I just didn’t execute the pitch. I left it up, hung it, and he hammered it.”

Guerrero hit a game-winning homer in the 10th inning off reliever Byung-Hyun Kim to win the series opener Tuesday.

Schilling (18-4) had his six-game winning streak stopped as he lost to an NL opponent for only the second time this season, and first since an 8-4 loss to St. Louis on April 17.

Schilling gave up seven hits and two runs in 8 1/3 innings as he pitched his fourth complete game of the season. He struck out seven to reclaim the major league lead with 219, four more than teammate Randy Johnson, who struck out 15 in Wednesday’s 5-1 victory.

“It’s not about pitching well, it’s about winning or losing and I didn’t pitch well enough to win tonight,” Schilling said.

Montreal’s Tomo Ohka gave up one run and six hits in a season-high eight innings, and Joey Eischen (3-1) allowed one hit in the ninth for the win.

Philadelphia 2, San Francisco 1--Randy Wolf (7-7) pitched seven strong innings and the Phillies scored two runs on a pair of fielder’s choices in the seventh inning to win at Philadelphia.

Barry Bonds was out of the Giants’ lineup, but he pinch-hit in the ninth inning. Bonds grounded out after Reggie Sanders led off the ninth with a single as Jose Mesa got his 30th save in 37 opportunities.

Russ Ortiz (7-8) pitched a six-hitter in the loss.

Atlanta 4, Milwaukee 0--Greg Maddux pitched six innings for his 268th career win, tying Hall of Famer Jim Palmer for 30th on the all-time list, as the Braves completed a three-game sweep at Atlanta.

Maddux (11-3) gave up five hits and lowered his NL-leading earned-run average to 2.45.

Atlanta’s Chipper Jones, who went three for three with a walk, and Gary Sheffield, with a pair of singles, each had RBIs against Glendon Rusch (5-11) in a three-run fourth inning.

Flordia 4, St. Louis 0--A.J. Burnett pitched a four-hitter for his major league-leading fourth shutout as the Marlins won at Miami.

Burnett (11-7) struck out seven, walked three and tied his career high for wins in a season, set last year.

The Cardinals’ lone highlight was a triple play in the sixth inning. It was their first triple play in more than nine years.

Chuck Finley (2-1) lost for the first time with the Cardinals, giving up six hits and two earned runs in seven innings.

Houston 3, New York 1--Brad Ausmus drove in two runs and Craig Biggio homered at New York as the Astros won a matchup of wild-card contenders and improved to 55-52, the same record as the Mets.

The Mets lost a series for the first time since the All-Star break.

Roy Oswalt went 6 2/3 innings for the victory and is 5-1 in his last nine starts.

After the Astros won the series opener, 16-3, and the Mets bounced back to win, 10-0, Oswalt (12-6) and Pedro Astacio (10-4) put the emphasis back on pitching.

Oswalt had no trouble with the humid, 89-degree conditions or the Met hitters. Featuring a 96-mph fastball, he took a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning, and left with two out after pinch-hitter Tony Tarasco’s RBI grounder.

Colorado 3, Pittsburgh 0--Jason Jennings held the Pirates hitless for 6 2/3 innings and the Rockies salvaged the final game of the three-game series at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates, outhit 13-2, were shut out for the fourth time in seven games and the 11th time this season.

Chicago 8, San Diego 7--Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run, two-out double off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning, rallying the Cubs at Chicago.

Hoffman (1-3) was one out from tying Rollie Fingers for sixth on the career saves list at 341 but instead blew a save for only the second time in 27 chances this season.

Tom Gordon (1-1) got his first victory since May 6, 2001, against the Dodgers.