Edgardo Alfonzo hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give the New York Mets their seventh straight home victory and their 34th comeback victory of the year, a 5-4 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was the 10th time the Mets had come back to win in the eighth inning or later and their sixth straight extra-inning victory. New York leads the majors in come-from-behind victories.
Lance Johnson singled to lead off the 10th against Tony Fossas (1-4), who got the final out in the ninth inning and remained in the game after a 1-hour-35-minute rain delay.
Bernard Gilkey was safe on a bunt when catcher Mike Difelice’s throw to second pulled shortstop Royce Clayton off the bag. John Olerud had a bunt single to third to load the bases, and John Frascatore replaced Fossas.
After Alex Ochoa grounded into a fielder’s choice, Alfonzo followed with a fly ball to medium-range right field. There was no play at the plate.
Cory Lidle (5-1), the fifth Mets pitcher, got the win by striking out Gary Gaetti with two on and two outs in the top of the 10th after the long rain delay.
Dodgers 5, Expos 4: Mike Piazza homered leading off the 10th inning–his second home run of the game and 24th of the season–to give the Dodgers a victory in Montreal.
Piazza hit an 0-2 pitch from Expos closer Ugueth Urbina (3-8) to left-center to send the Dodgers to their eighth victory in 10 games. He hit a three-run homer in the first inning, spoiling the NL debut of Canadian native Mike Johnson.
Pirates 5, Braves 4: In Pittsburgh, Jason Kendall and Jose Guillen homered in a four-run fourth inning and Jason Schmidt, traded by Atlanta a year ago, beat his former team for the first time.
Atlanta had won its previous four games against the Pirates this season–all in Three Rivers Stadium–by a combined 33-7.
Reds 7, Padres 3: Eduardo Perez and Reggie Sanders homered off struggling Sterling Hitchcock as host Cincinnati handed San Diego its sixth loss in seven games.
Hitchcock (7-7) got hit hard for the second consecutive start and made a costly baserunning gaffe–getting picked off first to end a bases-loaded threat in the second–that helped Cincinnati get only its fifth victory in 17 games..
Marlins 6, Astros 5: Moises Alou’s bases-loaded two-run single with one out in the bottom of the ninth lifted Florida to victory.
Alou hit a 1-2 pitch from reliever Billy Wagner (7-4) into right field, scoring Edgar Renteria and pinch runner Kurt Abbott. It was the third straight blown save for Wagner and kept Darryl Kile from getting his NL-leading 16th victory.
Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Eric Young’s two-out RBI double in the eighth inning capped a three-run rally in Philadelphia as Colorado ended a three-game losing streak.
Phillies starter Curt Schilling pitched six shutout innings, striking out 12 to tie Seattle’s Randy Johnson for the major-league lead with 224.
