Vladimir Guerrero can climb or crash into an outfield wall to make a catch. He runs the bases with reckless abandon and hits the ball with power anywhere in the ballpark.
If the Cardinals think Mark McGwire is baseball's Superman, the Expos are convinced Guerrero gives them their own real life superhero.Guerrero showed the Mets some more of his otherworldly skills Thursday night in Montreal's 7-6 win over New York at Olympic Stadium.
Guerrero homered, doubled, scored twice and snuffed out a Mets rally in the seventh with an outstanding running catch.
"He can dominate the game," Montreal manager Felipe Alou said of the 22-year-old outfielder. "He's got everything. Speed, reach, good hands, power. He could steal 30 to 40 bases, but we're not asking him to steal because we're protecting him this year."
Guerrero, who played in just 90 games last year after making three stops on the disabled list, homered off Masato Yoshii (4-3) in the first, doubled to begin a five-run rally in the sixth, and ran down Edgardo Alfonzo's shot in the gap to cut off a Mets' comeback bid in the seventh.
CARDINALS 7, ASTROS 6: At Houston, McGwire hit a 449-foot home run into the Astrodome's upper deck for his 33rd this season, setting the major league record for most homers hit through June.
McGwire still has 11 games this month to add to the record, previously held by Ken Griffey Jr., who hit 32 through June 1994.
PADRES 7, GIANTS 6: At San Francisco, San Diego won its 10th straight game when Chris Gomez tripled leading off the ninth and scored on Ruben Rivera's sacrifice fly.
The Padres extended their longest winning streak in 20 years and opened a 41/2-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
PIRATES 1, BREWERS 0: At Milwaukee, Tony Womack's bloop RBI single off Doug Jones (3-4) in the seventh gave Pittsburgh the victory in a game delayed nearly three hours by rain.
DODGERS 5, ROCKIES 0: At Denver, Eric Karros homered and drove in all five runs and Dave Mlicki (3-4) pitched his second career shutout as Los Angeles ended a four-game losing streak.
CUBS 12, PHILLIES 5: At Chicago, Brant Brown hit three home runs and drove in five runs, and Henry Rodriguez finally broke out of his hitting slump with a two-run homer.
MARLINS 3, BRAVES 2: At Atlanta, Craig Counsell and Todd Zeile had run-scoring singles in the eighth inning as Florida broke an 11-game road losing streak.
D'BACKS 4, REDS 2: At Cincinnati, Arizona achieved its first three-game sweep at the expense of baseball's oldest professional team. Brian Anderson (5-6), Arizona's first pick in the expansion draft, allowed only two hits over seven shutout innings and scored twice with aggressive baserunning.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RANGERS 3, A'S 3: At Arlington, Aaron Sele won a wild pitching matchup against Tom Candiotti. Sele issued a career-high seven walks and hit a batter, but still managed to become the AL's first 10-game winner Thursday because Candiotti was even wilder in Texas' 3-2 victory over Oakland.
ANGELS 11, MARINERS 5: At Anaheim, rookie Jarrod Washburn remained unbeaten as the surging Angels rallied to beat the slumping Mariners despite Ken Griffey Jr.'s AL-leading 27th homer.
ROYALS 5, TIGERS 3: At Detroit, Jeff King hit a two-run double and Dean Palmer homered as Kansas City got its fourth win in five games.
YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2: At Cleveland, Scott Brosius' bases-loaded walk started a three-run ninth inning that lifted the Yankees over the Indians.
RED SOX 7, DEVIL RAYS 5 (10 innings): At St. Petersburg, Fla., Troy O'Leary's two-run triple off Jim Mecir in the 10th inning gave Boston a victory over Tampa Bay.
BLUE JAYS 13, ORIOLES 6: At Baltimore, Alex Gonzalez had three hits and a homer to lead an 18-hit attack, and Dave Stieb made his first major league appearance in five years as Toronto routed the Orioles.
TWINS 4, WHITE SOX 1 (5 innings): At Chicago, Marty Cordova drove in three runs to help Bob Tewksbury snap a five-game losing streak as Minnesota won a rain-shortened game.