Braves lose Andruw Jones, Marquis in loss

<br>SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Left-handed pitcher Mike Bynum shut down baseball's best team in just his second big league start Thursday as the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2. <br><br>Along with

Friday, August 23rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Left-handed pitcher Mike Bynum shut down baseball's best team in just his second big league start Thursday as the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2.

Along with the game, the Braves lost star center fielder Andruw Jones and pitcher Jason Marquis to injuries.

Marquis, on crutches after the game, left with a bruised left calf after he was hit by Phil Nevin's line drive in the third inning. Jones strained his left shoulder and right wrist making a diving catch of Bynum's flyball in the sixth.

Jones aggravated a shoulder injury he sustained June 26 against the New York Mets while leaping at the fence.

``I told myself not to dive, but it was a reaction,'' Jones said. ``That's the way you play the game. It just happened.''

Jones and Marquis (8-8) will be examined by doctors on Friday.

``I have a pretty severe limp,'' Marquis said.

In other National League games Thursday, it was San Francisco 3, New York 1; Los Angeles 6, Florida 2; Arizona 6, Cincinnati 3; St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 4; Houston 9, Chicago 1; Colorado 14, Montreal 6; and Philadelphia 7, Milwaukee 0.

Bynum beat the team he grew up idolizing to win his first career decision. He allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings.

``It means a lot. I'm ecstatic,'' the 24-year-old left-hander said. ``It couldn't have come against a better team.''

San Diego's Gene Kingsale went 3-for-4 with a walk, scored four runs and made an over-the-shoulder catch of Chipper Jones' fly in the sixth.

Giants 3, Mets 1

In San Francisco, Ryan Jensen pitched six strong innings to win for the first time in eight starts as San Francisco beat New York to extend its longest losing streak since 1991 to 11 games.

San Francisco won all six meetings with the Mets this season, just the second time in franchise history the Giants have swept a season series. They beat Florida nine times in 1998.

The Giants remained 2 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the NL wild card race.

Mike Bacsik (2-1) gave the Mets another solid outing, giving up three runs and nine hits over 5 1-3 innings.

Dodgers 6, Marlins 2

In Los Angeles, Hideo Nomo beat Florida for the first time in 11 decisions and Chad Kreuter went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for the Dodgers.

Shawn Green hit a tie-breaking two run single in the seventh to help the Dodgers win for the 11th time in 14 games.

Nomo (12-6) allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings. He was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh, when the Dodgers scored three runs against Graeme Lloyd (3-4).

Kreuter drove in the final two runs with his second homer of the season off Armando Almanza in the eighth.

Paul Shuey pitched two hitless innings for his first NL save.

Derrek Lee hit his 20th homer for the Marlins.

Rockies 14, Expos 6

In Denver, Jay Payton homered and drove in a career-high five runs and Todd Zeile had a home run and three RBIs in Colorado's victory over Montreal.

Payton went 4-for-5 with a triple and three runs. He's batting .408 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 71 at-bats since being acquired from the New York Mets on July 31.

Brent Butler had three RBIs and Todd Helton hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, who took two of three from the Expos.

Denny Stark (9-3) allowed four hits and five runs in five innings to improve to 7-1 at Coors Field.

Vladimir Guerrero hit his 35th home run and moved into third place on Montreal's career list with 205. Jose Vidro had a two-run homer and Orlando Cabrera added a solo shot for the Expos.

Tony Armas (8-12) allowed eight runs and seven hits in 1 1-3 innings, the shortest outing of his career.

Phillies 7, Brewers 0

In Milwaukee, Randy Wolf allowed four hits in eight innings and hit his first career home run to lead Philadelphia past the Brewers.

Wolf (9-7) struck out seven and walked four as the Brewers fell to 7-20 against left-handers this season. The Phillies are 6-0 in Wolf's last six starts.

Pat Burrell and Placido Polanco hit solo home runs for the Phillies, who pounded Milwaukee pitchers for 27 hits and 20 runs in winning twice after losing the series opener.

The Phillies took a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Jimmy Osting (0-1), making his second start with the Brewers.

Cardinals 5, Pirates 4

In St. Louis, Fernando Vina doubled in two runs with one out in the ninth inning to lift St. Louis past Pittsburgh.

With the Cardinals down 4-2, Tino Martinez led off the ninth with a double off closer Mike Williams (1-5) before scoring on Edgar Renteria's single. One out later, Renteria advanced to third on pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo's single.

Gabe Molina (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the victory.

Martinez also homered for St. Louis.

Brian Giles hit his 32nd homer and Aramis Ramirez also homered for Pittsburgh, which has lost 10 of its last 13.

Astros 9, Cubs 1

In Houston, Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings for his sixth straight win and Brad Ausmus homered in a six-run first as Houston beat Chicago.

Oswalt (16-6) allowed only a solo homer to Fred McGriff in the seventh inning as he improved to 4-0 in five starts against Chicago this season. Oswalt struck out six.

Cubs starter Steve Smyth (1-2) retired only one batter, giving up six run, four hits and three walks.

Ausmus' three-run homer was the big blow in Houston's six-run first.

McGriff hit his 28th homer leading off the seventh.

Diamondbacks 6, Reds 3

In Phoenix, Tony Womack extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning as Arizona beat Cincinnati to sweep the six-game season series.

Steve Finley added a solo shot and four relievers combined for four scoreless innings in support of Miguel Batista (7-7) to help the Diamondbacks win for the 11th time in 12 games.

South Korea's Byung-Hyun Kim pitched the ninth for his 31st save, breaking the franchise record set by Gregg Olson in 1998. Reds starter Chris Reitsma (4-9) dropped to 1-9 in his last 11 starts.