Biggio Ignites Astros to 5-3 Victory Over Pirates

Craig Biggio got hot, and, suddenly, the Houston Astros did too. A coincidence? Hardly.

Biggio tripled, doubled and homered in his first three at-bats Monday to back Darryl Kile’s effective pitching and Houston ran its winning streak to four by beating the Pirates, 5-3, at Pittsburgh.

The Astros reached .500 for the first time since May 10. The Pirates have lost seven of eight and 16 of 20 and are a season-low 12 games below .500.

Biggio needed a single to become only the fourth player to hit for the cycle in the Astros’ 35-season history. But he walked in the seventh inning, then was two batters away from batting again when Houston was retired in the ninth.

“We’ve got good players, but Craig, for some reason, sets the tone,” Houston Manager Terry Collins said. “When he swings the bat good, this is a different team. When he gets on, [Jeff Bagwell] doesn’t have to hit home runs, he can just get base hits.”

Collins offered as evidence the four-run first inning against Zane Smith, who lost his third consecutive decision.

San Diego 4, Montreal 3--Joey Hamilton pitched eight strong innings and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to lead the Padres at Montreal.

Hamilton opened the eighth with a single off Jeff Fassero and Wally Joyner broke a 3-3 tie with a two-out double down the first-base line. Hamilton gave up three runs and six hits, all in the fourth inning. Trevor Hoffman finished for his 10th save.

San Diego has won five of six, while Montreal has lost four in a row and 10 of 12.

Jody Reed had a run-scoring single and Andujar Cedeno followed with an opposite-field, two-run homer in the second for a 3-0 lead. Fassero then gave up only two singles before Joyner’s double.

Atlanta 9, Chicago 1--Ryan Klesko hit his second career grand slam and Tom Glavine won his fifth consecutive decision, leading the Braves over the Cubs at Chicago.

Glavine gave up one run and four hits in seven innings, struck out six and walked one.

“Things are going well,” said Glavine, who is unbeaten in his last eight starts. “I feel good, I’m confident in what I’m doing out there. Right now, everything is right where I want it.”

Atlanta has won 10 of its last 13 games and is 21-6 since April 26.

“Right now, we can’t be playing any better than we are,” Glavine said. “We have to take advantage of that.”

Rookie Amaury Telemaco gave up eight runs--three earned--and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Chicago has lost five in a row and eight of nine.

Florida 6, Cincinnati 2--Al Leiter gave up three hits over eight innings to win for the first time since his no-hitter as the Marlins beat the Reds at Miami.

Leiter had lost twice since he no-hit Colorado on May 11 despite giving up a total of three runs in two starts. Over his last four starts and 30 1/3 innings, he has given up only eight hits.

“It was just too much Al Leiter for us,” Cincinnati Manager Ray Knight said. “The key to him is that he makes you chase balls up, and we chased a few tonight.”

Jeff Conine hit his ninth homer and his third in two days. He also singled home two runs in Florida’s four-run first inning for the Marlins, who climbed to .500, their best record ever after 52 games.

Colorado 5, St. Louis 2--Ellis Burks and Larry Walker homered in the first inning and Eric Young had three hits to lead the Rockies to a victory at St. Louis.

Burks has hit four home runs in four games against the Cardinals this season.

Kevin Ritz (5-4) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. Bruce Ruffin pitched the ninth for his sixth save for the Rockies.