Rockie Pitchers Let Win Walk Away

Beach towels weren’t the only giveaways at Shea Stadium. The Colorado Rockies handed out walks.

Five consecutive walks by Colorado pitchers--three with the bases loaded--helped the New York Mets score eight runs in the eighth inning Sunday for a 10-4 victory over the Rockies.

New York trailed, 4-2, entering the eighth before Colorado’s bullpen unraveled, throwing 20 balls in 23 pitches to five batters.

“As a manager,� said Colorado’s Don Baylor, “you’re helpless. There’s nothing you can do. That’s one of the worst situations I’ve ever been in.�

Butch Huskey had three hits and Carlos Baerga got both of his hits in the crazy eighth when New York rallied to win for the sixth time in eight games.

Vinny Castilla and Andres Galarraga homered for the Rockies.

The Met eighth, which included two doubles, four consecutive singles and some comical pitches by Rockie relievers, began innocently enough with a routine groundout.

Baerga got things going for New York with a one-out double off Steve Reed, who was replaced by Mike Munoz. Munoz walked pinch-hitter John Olerud and was lifted for Bruce Ruffin, who apparently didn’t warm up well enough.

With the crowd waving their free towels, Ruffin (0-1) threw 14 pitches--12 balls--to walk pinch-hitter Todd Hundley, Rey Ordonez and pinch-hitter Manny Alexander in succession, allowing the Mets to tie the score, 4-4.

“I just couldn’t find the strike zone,� Ruffin said, “and I wasn’t able to make the adjustments to get back into it. It snowballed in the wrong direction.�

Baylor brought in Mike DeJean, who walked Carl Everett on four pitches to force in the go-ahead run. The Mets added five more runs in the inning.

Chicago 5, San Francisco 3--Sammy Sosa hit two home runs, leading the Cubs over the Giants at Chicago.

Sosa homered in the first inning, a two-run shot, for his 150th with the Cubs, 10th highest in team history. Andre Dawson ranks ninth with 174 home runs.

Sosa then led off the seventh with a shot to straightaway center that landed in the juniper bushes planted in the center field bleachers. It broke a a 3-3 tie and was the 22nd multi-homer game of his career.

One out later, Jose Hernandez doubled and reached third on Rey Sanchez’s ground out. Jim Poole relieved Julian Tavarez (0-2) and intentionally walked pinch-hitter Scott Servais before giving up a single to pinch-hitter Ryne Sandberg, driving in Hernandez.

Florida 5, Pittsburgh 3--Gregg Zaun hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit single in the 10th, one pitch after apparently thinking he had walked, and the Marlins overcame Midre Cummings’ two-run pinch homer in the ninth to defeat the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

After Cummings’ first career pinch-hit homer tied it in the ninth off Robb Nen (3-1), Bobby Bonilla doubled with one out and Jeff Conine walked on a 3-2 pitch by Rich Loiselle (1-1).

Zaun also ran the count to 3-2, but only after tossing his bat nearly to the dugout and walking part way to first on what he thought was ball four. But umpire Mark Hirschbeck called it a strike, and Zaun followed with his tiebreaking single.

Kurt Abbott, who started Florida’s two-run third with a double, added a two-out, run-scoring single to make it 5-3.

Philadelphia 5, Houston 3--Scott Rolen hit a two-run homer and Garrett Stephenson gave up only six hits and one unearned run over seven innings as the Phillies defeated the Astros at Philadelphia.

Rolen’s third-inning home run, his third in three days and fourth of the season, gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead. Darren Daulton then followed with his fifth of the year.

Stephenson (1-0), who struck out 12 Cardinals in his first major league start May 13, struck out four and did not walk a batter. Ricky Bottalico pitched the ninth inning for his 10th save.

Atlanta 5, St. Louis 1--Tom Glavine, showing no effects of a sore hand that caused him to miss his last start, pitched a seven-hitter and the Braves won their third in a row over St. Louis at Atlanta.

Jeff Blauser broke up a tight pitching duel between Glavine and Andy Benes with a two-out, two-run double that snapped a 1-1 tie in the seventh.

Benes (2-2) retired 19 in a row after giving up a first-inning run, and Glavine (5-2) never gave up more than one hit in any inning and benefited from a base-running blunder by St. Louis’ Willie McGee in the sixth, leading to an inning-ending double play. It was Glavine’s second complete game of the season.

In the seventh, the Braves finally broke through after two outs. Javy Lopez and Mark Lemke singled and Blauser, the second-leading hitter in the NL, sliced a double down the right-field line. Glavine then single to left, bringing home Blauser.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

*--*

Player Team Performance Team’s Result Sammy Sosa Chicago 2 for 5, 3 RBIs, 2 homers Win Barry Larkin Cincinnati 3 for 3, 2 RBIs, double Win Butch Huskey New York 3 for 5, 2 RBIs, double Win

*--*

PITCHING

*--*

Player Team Performance Team’s Result Tom Glavine Atlanta 9 innings, 7 hits, 1 run Win G. Stephenson Philadelphia 7 innings, 6 hits, Win 0 earned runs Dave Burba Cincinnati 6 innings, 7 hits, Win 0 earned runs, 5 strikeouts

*--*