Phillies’ Bell Goes for a Full Cycle

David Bell stood on third base, waiting to see if he had the cycle.

Bell had to endure a conference by the umpires before learning that his triple would count, giving him the cycle, and the host Philadelphia Phillies beat the Montreal Expos, 14-6, Monday night.

“The thing is it’s just rare,� Bell said. “You’re playing the game and you’re trying to get hits and win the game. That’s the part you’re happy about, then you realize [the cycle] is something that doesn’t happen very often.�

Bell doubled in the second, homered in the fourth, singled in the sixth and hit a controversial triple in the seventh inning to complete the feat also accomplished by his grandfather, Gus Bell, who hit for the cycle for Pittsburgh on June 4, 1951.

Bell drove a 2-and-2 pitch against Rocky Biddle to left-center field that appeared to deflect off the outreached hands of a fan in the first row. The ball caromed toward center field and away from Brad Wilkerson.

Bell, who had a career-high six runs batted in, easily strolled into third base to a standing ovation from the crowd. But Wilkerson and Manager Frank Robinson protested the call for several minutes. The umpires convened and allowed the three-base hit to stand.

Bell was the third major league player to hit for the cycle this season. Milwaukee’s Chad Moeller did it April 27 and Pittsburgh’s Daryle Ward did it May 26.

Kevin Millwood (6-5) won despite giving up three home runs. He gave up five runs and five hits in six innings but struck out a season-high nine.

The right-hander improved to 10-0 in his last 11 starts against Montreal.

His last loss to the Expos came on August 28, 2001, when he was with Atlanta.

Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1 -- Jack Wilson turned an apparent double in the bottom of the ninth into the game-winning run and the Pirates, held hitless into the seventh by Jeff Suppan, rallied for the victory.

Wilson hit a drive down the left-field line for his league-leading 104th hit with one out against reliever Julian Tavarez (2-1) and, after realizing no one was covering second, kept running on the play.

First baseman Albert Pujols moved over to cut off the throw and appeared to have time to get Wilson at third. But his throw sailed wide of the bag and out of play, sending Wilson home.

Suppan didn’t give up a hit until Craig Wilson’s opposite-field double with two outs in the seventh, ahead of Jason Bay’s score-tying double.

San Diego 10, Arizona 5 -- Brian Giles and Humberto Quintero homered at Phoenix to help David Wells (3-5) win for the first time in nearly two months.

Mark Loretta had four of the Padres’ season high-tying 17 hits. The Diamondbacks suffered a franchise-record 10th consecutive loss -- longest streak in the majors this season.

Shane Reynolds, who signed with the Diamondbacks in the off-season, came off the 60-day disabled list to make the start. He threw only 50 pitches and gave up six runs, six hits and two walks.

Atlanta 6, Florida 1 -- John Thomson (6-6) won for the first time in nearly a month and J.D. Drew homered for the Braves in a game delayed nearly 3 1/2 hours because of rain.

The game at Atlanta started shortly before 11 p.m. local time, and only about 5,000 people were left when it ended at 1:24 a.m. today.

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Philadelphia Phillies who have hit for the cycle since 1900:

* David Bell, June 28, 2004, vs. Montreal.

* Gregg Jefferies, Aug. 25, 1995, vs. Dodgers.

* Johnny Callison, June 27, 1963, at Pittsburgh.

* Chuck Klein, May 26, 1933, at St. Louis.

* Chuck Klein, July 1, 1931, vs. Chicago.

* Cy Williams, July 7, 1927, vs. Cincinnati.