Seventy-four days later, the San Diego Padres have company atop the National League West.
The Padres, who had been alone in first place since the first week of the season, dropped into a tie with Los Angeles after their 8-4 loss to the host Chicago Cubs on Sunday. San Diego has lost 61/2 games in the standings since June 1.While the Dodgers defeated Atlanta 3-2, San Diego lost for the 12th time in 14 games, one day after halting an eight-game losing streak.
"I was hoping the game would get us back on track," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday. "We just got sloppy out there."
The Padres' slump coincides with the injury to first baseman Wally Joyner, who broke his left thumb breaking up a double play in a game June 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was hitting .321 and playing solid defense at the time of his injury, and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
"He's a key part of our lineup, a key part of our defense," third baseman Ken Caminiti said after Joyner's injury.
San Diego's futility is such that Cubs starter Frank Castillo stopped his seven-game losing streak and won for only the second time in 15 starts this season.
Castillo (2-9) allowed two hits in five innings. Terry Shumpert hit a solo homer and Ryne Sandberg had a two-run double for the Cubs, who won for the seventh time in nine games.
Dodgers 3, Braves 2
Los Angeles moved into a tie for first with its seventh win in 10 games, but not before closer Todd Worrell made the Dodgers worry at Atlanta.
He allowed two singles to begin the ninth before the game was halted for 34 minutes due to rain. When play resumed, he allowed a run to score on a wild pitch but earned his league-leading 20th save and Atlanta's seventh loss in 10 games.
Mike Piazza homered twice off Jason Schmidt (2-3) and Tom Candiotti (5-5) snapped his five-game road losing streak.
Reds 7, Expos 0
Roger Salkeld pitched a four-hitter for his first career shutout at Cincinnati, but afterward the visiting Expos could hardly remember his name.
"Salkafeel, I think his name is, pitched a real good game. We couldn't get to him all game," said Montreal starter Rheal Cormier (3-4).
Salkeld (3-1) walked one, hit a batter and struck out five in his first complete game in 22 major-league starts.
Reds owner Marge Schott attended the game for the first time since stepping down Wednesday as the team's chief executive.
Barry Larkin and Reggie Sanders homered as the Reds ended the Expos' four-game winning streak.
Giants 8, Astros 7
Left fielder Barry Bonds kept the game tied when he robbed Houston's Rick Wilkins of a home run in the top of the ninth. Mark Carreon won the game in the bottom of the inning when his pinch-hit single off Todd Jones scored Robby Thompson, who doubled off Alvin Morman (1-1).
Bonds made a leaping catch against the wall to preserve the tie when Wilkins hit a shot off Rich DeLucia (3-2).
Derek Bell had four hits and drove in three runs for Houston, but was picked off after hitting a leadoff single in the ninth.
Rockies 11, Phillies 3
Host Colorado pulled within a half-game of the Padres and Dodgers by winning its sixth straight as Kevin Ritz shut down a depleted Philadelphia lineup for seven innings.
Ritz (8-4) won his fifth straight decision and had an RBI double to cap a three-run fourth inning that helped the Rockies roll to their ninth win in 11 games.
Vinny Castilla hit his fourth homer in six games off Bobby Munoz (0-2) as Colorado's home run streak was extended to 11 games.
Cardinals 5, Mets 4
One day after injuring his hip and hamstring banging into the right-field wall making a running catch, Brian Jordan doubled home two runs as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning as host St. Louis rallied after wasting a 3-0 lead.
Doug Henry (2-2) allowed singles to McGee and Tom Pagnozzi in the eighth before Jordan doubled off John Franco.
Mark Petkovsek (5-0) won despite allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth.
Marlins 4, Pirates 2
Devon White of visiting Florida hit a home run estimated at 456 feet. The blast in the seventh inning off Denny Neagle (8-3) ricocheted off the fifth-level facade in left field - the 13th upper-deck homer in Three Rivers Stadium's 26-year history and the second this season.
Kevin Brown (5-5) won his third in four decisions, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 2.07 by limiting Pittsburgh to one earned run in seven innings.