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Hit-Happy Cubs Stop Braves' Win Streak

Posted on: Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 06:00 CDT

Sammy Sosa and the Chicago Cubs took their hit parade to Turner Field.

Sosa and Alex Gonzalez homered for the second straight game and the Cubs rapped a season-high 21 hits in routing the Atlanta Braves 15-6 Monday night.

A day after they had 20 hits in a 16-2 romp over Florida, the Cubs again got busy with the bats. Chicago won its third in a row and stopped Atlanta's five-game winning streak.

"We just couldn't hold them tonight," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "They were hitting them hard, hitting them soft, hitting them every which way."

In other games, San Francisco rallied past Arizona 5-4, San Diego beat St. Louis 5-4 in 10 innings, New York downed Philadelphia 8-6, Colorado stopped Los Angeles 4-1, Pittsburgh beat Houston 5-3, Montreal defeated Florida 4-1 and Cincinnati trounced Milwaukee 11-2.

Sosa hit a three-run shot and drove in four runs while Moises Alou had four hits and five RBIs. Tom Goodwin matched a career best with five hits and scored four times and Mark Grudzielanek had four hits and scored four runs.

Sosa homered for the 10th time since July 1, hitting a three-run drive in the first inning. He has 20 home runs this season and 519 in his career.

"I think that was a good sign for the team, getting them in the first inning, knowing that the Braves are a very hot team. You just can't give them the chance to get back in it," Sosa said.

Atlanta starter Shane Reynolds was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.

"Nobody ever wants to be a part of something like that," Reynolds said. "I think it was more bad pitching than the Cubs' hot hitting, to be honest with you."

Chicago's first four batters - Goodwin, Grudzielanek, Sosa and Alou - were 16-for-22, scored 13 runs and drove in 10.

Javy Lopez hit two homers for the Braves. Andruw Jones and Marcus Giles also connected.

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 4

Rich Aurilia and Yorvit Torrealba each hit two-run singles in the sixth inning and San Francisco rallied past Arizona for its fifth straight win.

The Giants won the opener of a four-game series at sold-out Pacific Bell Park and took an eight-game edge over the Diamondbacks in the NL West.

San Francisco is 4-0 so far on an 11-game homestand that started right after the All-Star break.

Padres 5, Cardinals 4, 10 innings

Miguel Ojeda hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th, lifting San Diego over St. Louis.

Ojeda, who entered in the ninth as part of a double switch, connected with one out off Lance Painter.

Cardinals starter Matt Morris was forced to leave after being hit on the right index finger by Mark Kotsay's line drive in the first inning.

Morris took one warmup pitch after being struck and threw it over the catcher's head. X-rays were negative and Morris was listed as day-to-day with a bruised knuckle.

Mets 8, Phillies 6

Aaron Heilman got his first major league victory and John Franco earned his first save in more than two years as New York held off Philadelphia at Veterans Stadium.

Cliff Floyd, Jason Phillips and Joe McEwing homered as the Mets stopped a four-game losing streak. Jim Thome hit his 25th homer and Bobby Abreu drove in four runs for the Phillies.

Heilman lasted five innings in his fifth big league start. Franco, who missed last season because of elbow surgery, got three outs for his first save since June 19, 2001.

With the Mets minus a full-time closer after trading Armando Benitez to the Yankees last week, Franco came in for his 423rd career save. The 42-year-old lefty is second on the career list to Lee Smith, who had 478.

Rockies 4, Dodgers 1

Denny Stark won for the first time this season and Colorado ended a five-game losing streak.

Stark gave up one run and four hits in seven innings at Dodger Stadium. He made his fourth start, having missed most of the year because of a strained muscle in his upper back.

Los Angeles lost its third in a row.

Marlins 4, Expos 1

Mike Lowell made a neat return from a tumor scare, driving in two runs to lead Florida over visiting Montreal.

Lowell, who had surgery in 1999 for testicular cancer, felt soreness in his groin the last three weeks and doctors told him Friday that a golf ball-sized mass might be a tumor. The following day, specialists determined it was a benign condition of the bone.

Lowell hit an RBI single, drew a bases-loaded walk and doubled. Josh Beckett pitched seven scoreless innings.

Pirates 5, Astros 3

Matt Stairs homered and Pittsburgh ended Houston's five-game winning streak.

Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent hit consecutive home runs for the Astros. Bagwell's shot was the 401st of his career and his third in two games.

Reds 11, Brewers 2

Jose Acevedo pitched seven shutout innings and Cincinnati stopped a seven-game losing streak at Great American Ball Park.

Russell Branyan pinch-hit for Acevedo in the bottom of the seventh and hit a grand slam off Milwaukee reliever Brooks Kieschnick.

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