Win Is a 10 for Braves’ Pitcher

Kevin Millwood won’t compare himself to Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. He only pitches like them.

Millwood became Atlanta’s third 10-game winner, pitching eight shutout innings Saturday night as the Braves defeated the New York Mets, 4-1, for their seventh consecutive victory.

“It’s kind of exciting,” the 23-year-old right-hander said. “It’s the first time I’ve won 10 games professionally in one place. It’s kind of nice to do it here.

“I don’t try to match those guys and be as good as they are. I just try to do the best I can.”

Millwood (10-4) gave up four hits and two walks as he joined Maddux and Glavine, both 12-game winners and former Cy Young Award winners, as double-digit winners.

Denny Neagle goes for his 10th victory today, a mark only four other NL pitchers have reached.

Millwood, who had been hammered in his previous two starts, gave up a fourth-inning single to Todd Pratt and then retired 10 in a row before giving up a single to Brian McRae with two outs in the seventh.

Butch Huskey followed with a hard double to left that moved McRae to third. But pinch-hitter Luis Lopez grounded out to end the threat.

The Mets, who dropped 11 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East, scored their only run on Huskey’s RBI single off Kerry Ligtenberg with two outs in the ninth.

“It hurts bad. They’re in our division,” Huskey said. “We can’t find a way to beat these guys, at least not in these two games.”

Mets catcher Mike Piazza left the game in the second inning after being hit in the head by the follow-through of Gerald Williams’ swing.

After a trip to Piedmont Hospital, where he was examined by a neurosurgeon, Piazza returned to Turner Field after the game. He was diagnosed as having a mild concussion and Met Manager Bobby Valentine said it is unlikely Piazza will play today.

“He was pale when I got out there [on the field],” Valentine said. “It hit his helmet. His eyes were floating. His hand was shaking.”

Cincinnati 5, St. Louis 4--Bret Boone drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded ground out at Cincinnati.

The Reds loaded the bases in the ninth off Rick Croushore (0-1) before Boone’s RBI gave the Reds their eighth victory in nine games.

Chicago 5, Pittsburgh 4--Mickey Morandini homered to tie the score and Henry Rodriguez hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh at Chicago as the Cubs won their fourth game in a row.

Florida 3, Montreal 2--Todd Zeile had three hits and an RBI and Brian Edmondson pitched 4 2/3 innings of two-hit relief at Montreal.

Edmondson (3-1) set down 12 consecutive batters before giving up a one-out single to Brad Fullmer in the eighth.

Philadelphia 6, Milwaukee 5--Desi Relaford’s RBI single in the ninth pushed the Phillies past Milwaukee at Philadelphia.

Wayne Gomes (7-3) pitched two hitless innings for the victory. Bob Wickman (3-5) took the loss.

Arizona 7, Houston 4--Brian Anderson stopped Houston’s homer streak at six games and Kelly Stinnett homered as the Diamondbacks won at Houston.