Mets still one back as Braves slap Montreal

Millwood (18-7) allowed just seven hits; the only run was a fifth-inning homer by Geoff Blum.

Garcia homered to lead off the third against Ted Lilly (0-1).

The Braves added two in the fourth. Jose Hernandez hit a run-scoring double, while Brian Hunter recieved an RBI double when Vladimir Guerrero misplayed a popup.

Hernandez doubled again in the sixth, scoring Andruw Jones from first, and Braves added their final run when Blum botched an attempted pickoff throw at second. Gerald Williams came around to score on the two-base error.

AP PHOTO The Braves' Kevin Millwod threw a complete game to beat the Expos yesterday, and kept the Braves a game ahead of the Mets in the NL East.

Lilly allowed five hits and four runs in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out seven.

New York 8, Philadelphia 6: John Olerud and Mike Piazza hit consecutive home runs and the Mets overcame a bad inning by Kenny Rogers to beat the Phillies 8-6 Sunday. Olerud drove in four runs.

Roger Cedeno also homered for the Mets, scored three times and stole his 65th base. Octavio Dotel (8-2) retired four batters to get the win.

Rogers, who left with a strained hamstring, retired the first 12 batters he faced before allowing the Phillies to take the lead in a six-run fifth.

Rogers allowed six hits in the inning, including a two-run homer by Rico Brogna and a two-run single by Bobby Abreu. Armando Benitez got the save.

Facing a two-run deficit, the Mscored three runs in the fifth off Paul Byrd (14-10) and reliever Cliff Politte.

Pirates 8, Cincinnati 5: Brian Giles hit his 38th and 39th homers to drive in three runs and the Pirates dealt Cincinnati's playoff hopes another setback, winning 8-5 Sunday behind Jason Schmidt.

The Reds now sit four games back of the Mets in the NL Wildcard race.

Starter Pete Harnisch (14-10) walked three and hit a batter - breaking Ed Sprague's left hand - in three innings.

Al Martin and Mike Benjamin singled ahead of Kevin Young's walk. Harnisch then hit Sprague, scoring Martin. Sprague is out for the season.

Schmidt (13-10) yielded five hits and three runs, two earned, in seven innings.

Greg Vaughn doubled and scored on Ed Taubensee's ground-out in the second, Giles homered and Young added another two pitches later.

Pirates reliever Brad Clontz got the save.

Houston 4, St. Louis 3: Looks like Mark McGwire is all warmed up for Sammy Sosa and Wrigley Field.

Jeff Bagwell's two-run shot in the seventh helped the Astros avoid a three-game sweep Sunday with a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

After striking out in the first, McGwire hit a two-run homer off Chris Holt (5-13) in the fourth.

09-20-99