Griffey’s Return Does Little to Stop Braves

Back in Cincinnati’s lineup for the first time in seven weeks, Ken Griffey Jr. was so uncomfortable in the early going he felt like “a deer in headlights.”

The rest of the Reds must not have felt much better.

Vinny Castilla had a three-run double in Atlanta’s seven-run third inning, helping the Braves ruin Griffey’s return with an 11-2 victory over Cincinnati on Friday night at Atlanta.

Griffey went one for four in his return after missing seven weeks with a torn tendon in his right knee. He singled sharply in the first inning off Kevin Millwood (3-5) in his first game since April 7. The Reds went 25-16 in his absence and lead the NL Central.

“The first couple of innings I was like a deer in headlights,” Griffey said. “As the game went on, I felt more and more comfortable being in the outfield. I think that’s going to be the adjustment playing. It’s going to be playing the outfield.”

Millwood won for the first time in seven starts, and his first since April 8. He gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings. The Braves had scored an average of 2.9 runs in Millwood’s last nine starts but tied a season high with 11 runs to win for the sixth time in eight games.

Darren Bragg started in right field in place of Gary Sheffield, who is day-to-day because of a strained hamstring.

Colorado 8, San Francisco 5--Bobby Estalella homered and drove in four runs, and Todd Helton hit his 100th home run at Coors Field as the Rockies defeated the Giants.

Estalella went three for four with two doubles and his fifth home run. Helton also doubled to back Denny Stark (3-0), who left after five innings with a 6-2 lead as the Rockies won their fourth in a row.

Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 2--Kip Wells shut down the league’s hottest team by limiting the Cardinals to three singles over 62/3 shutout innings at Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals figured to carry the momentum from their 9-1 home stand into PNC Park, where they were 6-1 last season, to lose for only the second time in 12 games and third in 15 games.

New York 5, Florida 4--Vic Darensbourg (1-1) walked four batters in the 10th inning at New York, including Jay Payton with the bases loaded, as the Mets overcame Armando Benitez’s first blown save of the year.

After Tim Raines tied the score with two out in the ninth against Benitez with his first career pinch-homer, the Mets won it in the 10th.

Montreal 4, Philadelphia 1--Vladimir Guerrero’s three-run double off Randy Wolf (3-3) at Montreal capped the Expos’ four-run seventh inning for the victory.

Tomo Ohka (4-3) pitched seven strong innings and Jose Vidro had two hits to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games, tied for the longest in the majors this season.

Milwaukee 6, San Diego 2--Catcher Marcus Jensen made the most of his first start of the season, hitting a three-run homer to lead the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Chicago 5, Houston 4--Fred McGriff and Moises Alou each had RBI singles in the 11th inning off Billy Wagner at Houston, leading the Cubs to their fourth consecutive victory.