Gonzalez HR lifts Cubs in 10th
CHICAGO -- Alex Gonzalez hit his third extra-inning home run of the season, a solo shot with one out in the 10th that sent the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
The Cubs won without star Sammy Sosa, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day after having the toenail removed from his right big toe.
Gonzalez has four homers this season, and three of them have come in the 10th inning. He also did it May 1 at San Francisco and on May 4 against Colorado at Wrigley Field.
This winning homer came off Cal Eldred (2-1). Mike Remlinger (1-0) pitched the top of the 10th to get his first victory with the Cubs.
The Cardinals tied it in the ninth as Cubs reliever Joe Borowski blew his first save in seven chances.
Chicago starter Kerry Wood threw a career-high 141 pitches in seven innings, allowing just four hits.
NEW YORK -- Mike Piazza hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to lift New York over San Diego.
Jay Bell led off the 10th with a line single and Piazza followed with a towering drive into the left-field bleachers on a 1-0 pitch from Jaret Wright (1-5).
Piazza's homer was his fourth of the season. Wright lowered his head and pulled his cap over his eyes as the ball sailed out of the park.
MONTREAL -- Vladimir Guerrero was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as Montreal rallied to defeat Los Angeles.
Fred McGriff hit his 483rd career home run for the Dodgers, who had won three in a row.
The Expos trailed 5-2 going into the seventh. After tying it with two outs, Paul Quantrill's first pitch to Guerrero grazed the Montreal slugger's arm.
Luis Ayala (2-1) got Daryle Ward -- the only batter he faced -- to ground into an inning-ending double play in the seventh after Brian Jordan's RBI single chased Javier Vazquez.
ATLANTA -- Javy Lopez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning and Atlanta rallied to beat San Francisco, snapping the Giants' six-game winning streak.
Chipper Jones hit a game-tying homer earlier in the seventh and drove in three runs to lead Atlanta to its 20th win in 24 games.
After Vinny Castilla singled off Joe Nathan (4-1), Lopez hit the next pitch 413 feet over the center-field wall to make it 4-2.
John Smoltz pitched the ninth as the Braves won for the 68th straight time in a game he pitched in, extending a major league record. Smoltz allowed an RBI double to Rich Aurilia.
PITTSBURGH -- Brian Giles hit his first two homers this season and Kris Benson pitched eight innings as Pittsburgh ended a seven-game losing streak, holding off Arizona.
Giles, who returned Wednesday after sitting out nearly a month with a sprained knee, hit a two-run shot in the first and a solo drive in the third, both off Elmer Dessens.
The homers were Giles' first since he homered three times in three games during a season-ending series against the Cubs in September.
Arizona rallied for three runs in the ninth against Benson and relievers Scott Sauerbeck and Mike Williams. Rod Barajas hit an RBI double and pinch-hitter Quinton McCracken had a two-run double.
MIAMI -- Preston Wilson homered against his former team for the second straight night and drove in four runs as Colorado snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over Florida.
Jason Jennings (3-3) pitched seven strong innings, giving the Rockies their first win by a starter this month. The staff was 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in eight starts in May.
Wilson's three-run blast into the upper deck in left highlighted a four-run third inning against Michael Tejera (0-1). Wilson, who also homered Friday, is playing his first series in Florida since being traded to Colorado in November.
PHILADELPHIA -- Randy Wolf pitched a five-hitter and Bobby Abreu and Mike Lieberthal drove in first-inning runs as Philadelphia beat Houston.
Wolf (5-2) struck out six and walked one to notch his fifth career shutout and first this season. He allowed a two-out walk and single in the eighth inning but got Craig Biggio to ground out to third to end the threat.
Wolf gave up a leadoff double to Biggio in the first, then retired 12 straight before Richard Hidalgo singled down the left field line to start the fifth inning. The ball was nearly touched by a fan and a ball boy before Pat Burrell scooped it up and nailed Hildalgo attempting to stretch it into a double.
CINCINNATI -- Richie Sexson homered and Milwaukee took advantage of 13 walks to snap Cincinnati's five-game winning streak.
Sexson, Alex Sanchez and Geoff Jenkins each had two of Milwaukee's 10 hits to help Ben Sheets win for the third time in four decisions.
Sheets (4-3) allowed two runs and 10 hits in six innings, but walked only one. Reggie Taylor had four hits for the Reds.
John Riedling (0-1) allowed six runs -- five earned -- six hits and three walks in four-plus innings in just his second career start after 88 consecutive relief appearances.