CINCINNATI -- Randy Winn hit for the cycle in his first four
at-bats, sending the San Francisco Giants to a 7-3 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Todd Linden also homered and drove in two runs for the Giants,
who overcame solo shots by Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn and Austin
Kearns.
Winn, who scored twice, led off the first inning with a single
and the third with his ninth homer this season -- his third in 13
games since being acquired from Seattle on July 30.
The speedy center fielder doubled with one out in the fourth and
opened the sixth with a triple to right-center, making him the 21st
player in Giants history to hit for the cycle and the first since
Jeff Kent in a 9-8 loss at Pittsburgh on May 3, 1999.
It was the first time Winn hit for the cycle in his eight-year
major league career. He is the third player to accomplish the feat
this season, joining St. Louis' Mark Grudzielanek on April 27
against Milwaukee, and Washington's Brad Wilkerson on April 6 in
Philadelphia.
Kevin Correia (2-3) went five innings to beat the Reds for the
second time this season.
Aaron Harang (8-11) took the loss.<
^Nationals 6, Phillies 3=
PHILADELPHIA -- Preston Wilson homered twice, Livan
Hernandez pitched eight strong innings and Washington won again on
the road, beating Philadelphia.
The Nationals, knocked out of first place during a second-half
slump, have turned things around away from home and put themselves
in contention for the NL wild card. Coming off a three-game sweep
in Colorado, Washington won its fourth in a row overall.
Hernandez (14-5) stifled the surging Phillies and showed no
effects of the balky right knee that's bothered him this season.
Nick Johnson and Brian Schneider also homered for the Nationals.
Philadelphia starter Brett Myers (10-6) couldn't overcome three
two-out homers. He gave up five runs in six innings.<
^Astros 12, Cubs 4=
HOUSTON -- Morgan Ensberg hit a long home run and finished
4-for-4 with three RBIss, and Chris Burke, Adam Everett and Humberto
Quintero also homered to help Houston follow consecutive shutouts
with its second-highest scoring game of the season.
Ensberg homered in the seventh, a solo shot that landed on the
train track well above the left-field stands. Burke hit a three-run
homer in the third, and Everett had a solo homer and Quintero a
two-run shot in a six-run fifth. Astros rookie Willy Taveras had
his fourth four-hit game, finishing 4-for-6.
Wandy Rodriguez (8-5) again benefited from generous run support.
Matt Murton hit his first career homer and Todd Walker hit his
eighth this season for the Cubs, who began a six-game road swing
with their sixth consecutive road loss. Chicago has lost 10 of 13
to fall 7½ games behind the Astros in the wild-card race.
Glendon Rusch (5-5) was the loser.<
^Rockies 11, Brewers 2=
DENVER -- Aaron Cook pitched six solid innings for his first
win in more than a year, Garrett Atkins homered and drove in four
runs, and Colorado ended a four-game losing streak a victory over
slumping Milwaukee.
Cook (1-1) returned to Colorado's rotation on July 30 after
missing nearly a year with blood clots in his lungs that nearly
killed him. After being tagged for seven runs in 4 1-3 innings his
first start back, he pitched well enough to win his next two
outings, only to walk away with no-decisions in both games.
Cook got the victory this time, allowing two runs and nine hits
for his first win since Aug. 1, 2004, against Arizona.
Colorado's offense certainly helped, sending Milwaukee to its
sixth loss in seven games.
The Rockies managed only four runs against Washington last
weekend, setting a record for fewest in a three-game series in
Coors Field's 10-year history.
Colorado had one more than that in the fifth inning alone and
ended up with 17 hits. Most of the damage came against Ben Sheets
(8-9), who gave up a career-high 13 hits and matched another career
high with 10 runs allowed in six innings.
Todd Helton hit a two-run homer and finished 3-for-5, raising
his average above .300 for the first time since May 22.