Zeile Seals Marlins’ Fate

The last time Todd Zeile had visited Puerto Rico was 15 years ago -- for a wedding. He returned Friday and had his own little party.

Zeile hit two home runs in the Montreal Expos’ 6-2 win over the Florida Marlins at San Juan and became the first player in major league history to homer for 11 teams.

The third baseman thinks the achievement is a statistic more than a record.

“It’s an interesting side note to my career,” said Zeile, cut by the New York Yankees before Montreal signed him last month. “At least it beats the record of four errors in a game I had for a while.”

Zeile had the 12th multihomer game of his career and first since May 27, 2000, while with the New York Mets. He also helped drop Florida one game behind Philadelphia in the National League wild-card race.

“Zeile gave us the big lift with the two homers,” Expo Manager Frank Robinson said. “It’s nice to get some late-inning offense.”

Montreal improved to 11-6 in Puerto Rico, where it plays 22 “home” games this season. The game, which drew 11,509, was delayed for 1 hour 12 minutes in the bottom of the fourth because of a power outage at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Livan Hernandez (15-8) gave up one run and seven hits in eight innings. He struck out five.

“I felt very good after the blackout. I actually felt stronger,” Hernandez said.

Houston 5, San Diego 4 -- Jeff Bagwell hit a three-run homer to lead the Astros over the Padres at San Diego as Houston retained its lead in the NL Central.

With San Diego leading, 3-2, in the fifth inning, Bagwell hit his 32nd homer of the season, hitting a slow curveball from Adam Eaton (8-10).

Houston remained a half-game ahead of the Chicago Cubs and third-place St. Louis dropped two games off the pace.

Chicago 4, Milwaukee 2 -- Sammy Sosa hit his 33rd home run and Juan Cruz outdueled Ben Sheets to lead the Cubs at Milwaukee.

Cruz (2-5) made his second start since being recalled from triple-A Iowa on Aug. 31. Last Sunday, he went 5 1/3 innings in a 2-0 loss to the Brewers.

Fans saw a baseball oddity in the second inning when Bill Hall of the Brewers came to the plate in the wrong spot in the batting order.

He took one pitch before Keith Osik stepped in. Since Hall did not complete that wrong-turn at-bat, there was nothing illegal. Osik struck out and Hall eventually popped up.

Cincinnati 4, St. Louis 2 -- Wily Mo Pena tripled home the tiebreaking run in the 12th inning to cap his first three-hit game and lead the Reds at St. Louis. The Cardinals have lost five of six.

St. Louis’ Jason Isringhausen blew a save for only the second time in 19 chances as the Cardinals had a 2-1 ninth-inning lead. Tim Hummel, who homered in the sixth off Sterling Hitchcock, drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a wild pitch, took third on a single by D’Angelo Jimenez and scored on Sean Casey’s groundout to first.

Arizona 8, San Francisco 1 -- Brandon Webb gave up one run in seven innings to outduel fellow rookie Jerome Williams and lead the Diamondbacks at San Francisco.

Webb (9-7) lowered his earned-run average to 2.51 by giving up only a run-scoring single to Benito Santiago in the fourth. He gave up three hits, walked five -- including Barry Bonds twice -- and struck out six.

Atlanta 3-3, Pittsburgh 2-5 -- Craig Wilson hit a three-run homer and Mark Corey struck out Chipper Jones with the bases loaded in the sixth inning in the second game of a doubleheader split involving the Pirates and Braves at Atlanta.

In the opener, Jones homered off Corey with one out in the 10th inning, giving the Braves a come-from-behind victory.