Sandberg Hits Homers In, Out Of Park

-- CHICAGO - Hitting home runs out of Wrigley Field is a lot easier than the inside-the-park variety.

Ryne Sandberg knows because he did it both ways yesterday when he drove in five runs with his two homers, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 7-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

"I was pretty pumped up," Sandberg said of his three-run inside shot in the first inning. "But it took a lot out of me and my legs were sore the rest of the game.

With runners on second and third, Sandberg hit a drive down the left-field line and Lonnie Smith failed to make a diving catch as the ball rolled by him to the wall.

"I was thinking double when I hit it," Sandberg said. "Then I saw him miss it and I thought triple. After that I picked up my coach and I was trying to catch my breath when I got home."

It was Sandberg's second career inside-the-park homer. The other was hit in Montreal in 1986. It was the first by a Cub in Wrigley Field since Ron Cey did it in 1983.

Sandberg took the easy way in the third inning. He hit his 16th homer into an 18-mph wind after Mark Grace had walked to give the Cubs a 5-0 lead. Both homers came off loser John Smoltz (5-12).

"I hit it real good and it barely made it out," Sandberg said. "They really crushed theirs."

"They" were Atlanta's Terry Pendleton and Ron Gant, who hit successive homers in the fourth off winner Les Lancaster.

GIANTS 3, PHILLIES 0 -- SAN FRANCISCO - Rookie right-hander Paul McClellan and two relievers combined on a three-hitter as San Francisco beat Philadelphia for the Giants' seventh straight victory.

Matt Williams and Robby Thompson hit consecutive homers off Danny Cox (3-4) in the fourth inning to help send the Phillies to their sixth straight loss.

McClellan, making his first appearance of the season after working in four games last year, blanked the Phillies on two singles over seven innings.

REDS 13, CARDINALS 1 -- ST. LOUIS - Cincinnati used a season-high 20 hits and the first major-league complete game by rookie Kip Gross to beat St. Louis, snapping a five-game losing streak.

The defending World Series champions have won only three of their past 17 games.

PIRATES 11, ASTROS 5 -- HOUSTON - Jay Bell became the first Pittsburgh shortstop to hit 12 home runs in a season since 1947, going 4 for 5 with two homers and four RBI, to lead the Pirates past Houston.

Randy Tomlin (6-3) gave up one run on seven hits over seven innings for his third straight win. Tomlin had pitched 23 consecutive scoreless innings before Houston scored in the sixth.

DODGERS 7, EXPOS 0 -- LOS ANGELES - Bob Ojeda pitched a five-hitter for his first shutout in almost two years and Alfredo Griffin had four hits as Los Angeles beat Montreal and widened its lead in the National League West to six games.

The Dodgers stretched their home winning streak to a season-high seven games with their fifth straight triumph overall, and Ojeda (8-8) extended the pitching staff's consecutive scoreless-inning streak to 32.

Mets 4, Padres 0 -- SAN DIEGO - Dwight Gooden pitched four-hit ball for eight innings and Garry Templeton homered against his former team as New York beat San Diego to end a four-game losing streak.

Gooden (11-6) struck out six and walked three before John Franco finished the combined shut-out.

Gooden, 11-4 lifetime versus the Padres, also singled in the fifth inning, giving him five hits in his past seven at-bats. He is 3-0 in four starts against San Diego this year.