NEW YORK – Greg Maddux hung on for his 277th career victory while former teammate Tom Glavine gave up a career-high four home runs in their first-ever matchup as the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 5-2 Friday night.
Gary Sheffield, Chipper Jones, Julio Franco and Mark DeRosa hit solo homers in Atlanta’s third straight win.
The much-anticipated meeting between the Cy Young Award winners fizzled from the start. Glavine was tagged for a solo homer by Sheffield in the first and Maddux allowed five hits in the bottom half of the inning.
Maddux (4-5) was pulled after five innings and 83 pitches, giving up two runs and seven hits. Glavine (5-5) lost to his old team for the second time in a week, leaving after allowing five runs and nine hits in seven innings and remaining stuck on 247 wins.
Astros 9, Cubs 1
CHICAGO – Wade Miller pitched a career-best two-hitter and Brad Ausmus had a three-run double as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 9-1 in Sammy Sosa’s first game since coming off the disabled list.
A rusty Sosa, activated Friday after missing 17 games with a toe injury, went 0-for-4 and struck out three times.
Phillies 12, Expos 5
PHILADELPHIA – Jim Thome homered and drove in four runs, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 12-5 victory over the Montreal Expos.
Reds 4, Marlins 3
MIAMI – Ken Griffey Jr. hit a game-tying solo homer in the ninth inning and a go-ahead shot in the top of the 11th to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Marlins.
Pirates 7, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS – Kenny Lofton homered to extend his hitting streak to 26 games as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3.
Lofton hit his sixth homer on the first pitch of the third from Garrett Stephenson (3-4) to match Nomar Garciaparra for the longest hitting streak in the major leagues this season.
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