Atlanta's Otis Nixon managed a total of four home runs during his first 10 years in the major leagues. So the past six days have been quite a productive time.
Nixon hit his second homer in less than a week and John Smoltz scattered eight hits Tuesday to lead the Braves to a 4-3 victory over San Francisco, their fourth consecutive win over the Giants.Nixon's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Braves a 3-2 lead. After starting pitcher Trevor Wilson walked Smoltz, Nixon stroked an 0-1 pitch over the left-field fence, his second home run off Wilson in a week.
Terry Pendleton, the next hitter, also took Wilson deep, his 12th homer of the season. It marked the third time this season the Braves have hit back-to-back home runs. Ron Gant and David Justice did it on the other two occasions.
Smoltz, 9-5, shut out the Giants 5-0 on just two hits last Wednesday in Atlanta. On Tuesday, he gave up two runs, walked none and struck out seven working his sixth complete game of the year.
Wilson, 5-8, lasted seven innings, giving up seven hits and four runs, walking one and striking out three.
The Braves have won 22 of their last 27 games, and their 19 victories in June sets a team record for victories in the month.
Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the first. Nixon, the lead-off hitter, dropped a single into right center. He stole second and went to third when catcher Kirt Manwaring overthrew second base. Pendleton then scored Nixon with a sacrifice fly.
The Giants came right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Mike Felder singled, stole second and went to third when catcher Greg Olson threw the ball into center field. Will Clark, back in the line-up after missing three games with bruised ribs, lined a single to score Felder for the first run the Giants scored against the Braves in three games.
Pirates 2, Cardinals 0
At St. Louis, Doug Drabek fired a three-hit shutout, his second shutout this season (13th of his career) and third complete game (27th career). Drabek, 6-6, struck out nine and did not walk a batter, retiring the last 14 he faced. Pittsburgh scored its two runs in the fourth inning.
Cubs 3, Mets 1
At Chicago, Andre Dawson hit a solo home run and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. The Cubs scored twice in the eighth to snap a 1-1 tie and give Greg Maddux, 9-7, the win. It marked the Cubs' eighth win in their last at-bat, while the Mets lost their third straight game.
Expos 7, Phillies 2
At Philadelphia, John Vander Wal homered and drove in three runs and Ken Hill pitched four-hit ball through seven innings. Hill, 8-4, also helped his own cause with a pair of hits and scored twice en route to his third straight victory. Mike Williams, 0-1, served up the first-inning homer to Vander Wal and lasted just 4 2/3 innings in his major league debut.
Astros 5, Reds 1
At Houston, Jimmy Jones combined with two relievers on a five-hitter to hand the Reds their second straight loss and trim their lead over Atlanta in the NL West to 2 1-2 games. Jones, 4-1, allowed one run on three hits in five-plus innings before leaving with a blister on his right index finger. Rob Murphy worked 1 1/3 innings, and Xavier Hernandez went the final 2 2-3 to record his third save.
Padres 2, Dodgers 1
At Los Angeles, Gary Sheffield stroked a pinch-hit single to snap a 1-1 seventh-inning deadlock. Sheffield, the Padres' leading hitter at . 316 going into the game, had been sidelined since suffering a sprained thumb over the weekend. The single gave him the league RBI lead with 55. Bruce Hurst, 8-5, for whom Sheffield batted, allowed one run on seven hits in six innings. Mike Maddux pitched the final three innings to record his fourth save.
American League
Orioles 12, Brewers 2
At Baltimore, Jeff Tackett homered, doubled and drove in five runs as Baltimore built a 10-0 lead after three innings to beat Milwaukee at Camden Yards. Tackett is batting .321 with two homers and eight RBIs since starting catcher Chris Hoiles was injured on June 22. He hit a three-run homer in the second inning and a two-run double with the bases loaded in the third.
Twins 2, Angels 0
At Anaheim, Calif., Bill Krueger pitched a two-hitter for his second shutout of the season to lift the Twins. Krueger, 8-2, retired the first 14 batters before Luis Sojo blooped a single to right with two outs in the fifth. California's other hit was a one-out single by Gary DiSarcina in the sixth. Kent Hrbek doubled home the game's first run in the seventh to send Julio Valera, 4-7, down to defeat in the pitcher's duel.
Yankees 6, Royals 0
At New York, Don Mattingly had four hits and drove in two runs and Scott Sanderson pitched a four-hitter to lift the Yankees. Mattingly's last four-hit game came Sept. 12, 1989 at California. Pat Kelly, Mel Hall and Matt Nokes also hit homers for the Yankees. Sanderson, 7-5, won his third straight. Mark Gubicza, 7-6, took the loss.
Red Sox 8, Tigers 5
At Boston, Bob Zupcic banged his first career grand slam and his first homer of the season with one out in the ninth inning to propel the Red Sox. Trailing 5-4, the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out off Mike Henneman, 0-3, on a Phil Plantier walk, a double by Scott Cooper and an intentional walk to Jody Reed. Henneman then surrendered Zupcic's slam that ended the game and made a winner of reliever Daryl Irvine, 1-0, who gave up two hits over three scoreless innings. The Tigers took a 5-0 lead off Boston starter Mike Gardiner in the second.
Indians 5, White Sox 4
At Cleveland, Carlos Martinez drove in pinch runner Alex Cole with a one-out single in the ninth inning to lift the Indians. Martinez lined a 1-2 pitch just past the outstretched glove of third basemen Robin Ventura to allow the Indians to complete a comeback that started after the White Sox had taken a 4-0 lead with four runs in the third inning. Derek Lilliquist, 3-2, allowed one hit in two scoreless innings for the victory.
Rangers 16, Blue Jays 13
At Toronto, Kevin Brown became the major league's first 12-game winner when the Rangers outlasted the Blue Jays in a sloppy 16-13, 31-hit slugfest. The Rangers' 20 hits and 16 runs were both season highs. Texas scored nine unearned runs off starter David Wells, 3-3, and reliever Mike Timlin in the third inning. Brown, 12-4, pitched seven innings, gave up eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits. Ruben Sierra went 4-for-5 with three RBI for Texas.
Athletics 4, Seattle 2
At Seattle, Bob Welch won his third game in four starts since returning from the disabled list and Jose Canseco homered to spark the Athletics. Welch, 5-4, held the Mariners to six hits and two earned runs in eight innings of work, striking out three and walking five. Dennis Eckersley earned his 27th save by pitching the ninth.