Tom Glavine Wins 300th Game

Monday, August 6th 2007, 7:37 am

By: News On 6

Tom Glavine won his 300th game last night as the New York Mets topped the Chicago Cubs 8-3. Glavine watched from the Mets' dugout as Ryan Theriot lofted a fly ball to center. When it landed in Lastings Milledge's glove, Glavine stood and applauded.

``I think the feeling right now is probably relief,'' Glavine said. ``At some point in time, I don't know when, the historic side of it will sink in. I know the company I'm in, and I'm as proud as can be to be in that company.''

In Los Angeles, the Diamondbacks capped a stellar week by beating the Dodgers in a matchup of aces. Cy Young winner Brandon Webb outpitched two-time All-Star Brad Penny, throwing his fifth career shutout and leading the NL West-leading Diamondbacks to a 3-0 victory that polished off a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Glavine left with one out in the seventh and a 5-1 lead. Three batters and three pitchers later, it was 5-3 and even Glavine couldn't help but think back to his last start when he left up by a run and the bullpen couldn't hold it against the Brewers.

Guillermo Mota, who allowed a game-tying double to Bill Hall in the eighth in Milwaukee, relieved Glavine on Sunday night with one out and a runner on second and gave up a single to Jason Kendall.

Pedro Feliciano relieved Mota and allowed a run-scoring groundout to Jacque Jones and a double to Mike Fontenot to make it 5-3.

Aaron Heilman finally stopped the rally, getting Theriot to fly harmlessly to center.

``That was a huge out. That was a big turning point in the game, they were gaining some momentum, had the tying run at the plate,'' Glavine said. ``That's about the time where you start going through the, 'Oh, no. Not again.'''

Glavine went 6 1-3 and allowed two runs on six hits and a walk. He only struck out one, but that's never been Glavine's game.

``It wasn't a dazzling performance in terms of striking people out. It was an exercise in hitting my spots and changing speeds and letting the guys behind me do their work,'' he said.

In other NL games, it was Atlanta 6, Colorado 5 in 10 innings; Florida 6, Houston 5; Washington 6, St. Louis 3; Philadelphia 8, Milwaukee 6 in 11 innings; and San Diego 5, San Francisco 4.

In a six-game trip through Southern California, the Diamondbacks went 5-1, winning two of three games in San Diego before heading to Los Angeles. Starting the week, Arizona had a half-game lead over the Dodgers and Padres. After Sunday's games, the lead was 1 1/2 over the Padres, four over the Dodgers.

``These were probably the biggest two series of the year for us so far, here against L.A. and the last one against the Padres. So to win five of six on the road against these two teams that are in our division was huge for us,'' Webb said.

Webb (11-8) gave up seven hits and struck out four in winning his third straight start. He recorded his first shutout this season and 10th complete game in 153 career starts, getting 14 of his outs on groundballs.

``We saw kind of the return of the sinker today, and that's how you stay in games for nine innings _ throwing your sinker for strikes, getting early-count outs and ground balls,'' manager Bob Melvin said. ``He's on quite a roll.''

Webb extended his scoreless streak to 24 consecutive innings, including a pair of seven-inning outings against Florida and San Diego. The record is 59 straight, by Orel Hershiser during his 1988 Cy Young campaign with the Dodgers.

``I knew it was going to be a tough game because Penny's always super tough on us. So I knew I was going to have to bear down and throw one of my better games,'' said Webb, who had a 30-inning scoreless streak last season.

Penny (13-3) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking none. He came in 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 14 previous starts against the Diamondbacks, who selected him in the fifth round of the June 1996 draft.

Braves 6, Rockies 5, 10 innings

Rookie Yunel Escobar hit the game-winning single for host Atlanta.

The liner to left easily scored Jeff Francoeur, who had doubled into the left field corner off Taylor Buchholz (5-4), giving the Braves their fifth win in seven games. Atlanta took two of three from Colorado.

Chipper Jones went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, his 18th of the season. Oscar Villarreal (2-1), the Braves' sixth pitcher, earned the win with a scoreless tenth.

Phillies 8, Brewers 6, 11 innings

Wes Helms hit a two-out, two-run double in the 11th inning off Manny Parra (0-1), and visiting Philadelphia came back from a six-run deficit.

The Phillies needed five runs in the ninth _ including three off Brewers closer Francisco Cordero _ just to tie the game and get it to extra innings.

Brett Myers (2-3) pitched 1 1-3 innings to get the win, and Jose Mesa pitched the 11th for his first save of the season.

Padres 5, Giants 4

At San Diego, Barry Bonds sat out a night after hitting his record-tying 755th career homer and the Padres finished off a sweep of Bonds' team.

Giants starter Noah Lowry left because of tightness in his left forearm after three innings and the game tied at 1.

Padres starter Justin Germano left in the sixth after getting hit on the right thumb by Pedro Feliz's comebacker. Doug Brocail (4-1) replaced him, and took the win.

Marlins 6, Astros 5

Scott Olsen (9-9) won for the first time in three starts since his DUI arrest, allowing two of visiting Houston's first three hitters to score before settling down and retiring 14 of 15 batters during one stretch.

Matt Albers (2-5) allowed five hits and five runs in 4 1-3 innings.

Nationals 6, Cardinals 3

Ryan Zimmerman hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and host Washington won its sixth in a row, its longest streak in more than a year.

Dmitri Young had three hits and three RBIs. Ray King (1-0) induced his only batter, Yadier Molina, to hit into a double play that ended the eighth and got his first win since April 15 last year for Colorado against Philadelphia.