Atlanta – Greg Maddux couldn’t stop grinning after he lined a single right up the middle off an old friend.
John Smoltz got the last laugh, however.
Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones came up with two-out, run-scoring hits in the seventh inning, giving Smoltz and the Atlanta Braves a 3-2 win over Maddux’s San Diego Padres on Wednesday night – the first matchup between the longtime teammates since 1992.
Smoltz (5-1) gave up homers to Adrian Gonzalez and light-hitting Geoff Blum before leaving for a pinch hitter with the Padres leading 2-1.
It looked as though he was destined for a no-decision at best when sidearming Cla Meredith (1-1) retired the first two hitters in the seventh. But Kelly Johnson and Willie Harris kept it going with back-to-back singles, and the Joneses completed the rally.
“I don’t mind telling you: I’m super excited to get this win,” said Smoltz, who improved to 3-1 against Maddux.
METS 5, GIANTS 3 at San Francisco: Carlos Delgado splashed a Barry Bonds-like home run into McCovey Cove beyond the right-field fence, then doubled in the tying run in the eighth, and David Wright had a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth.
Delgado’s second homer of the season was the 14th splash hit by an opponent at the Giants’ waterfront ballpark, where San Francisco players have done it 42 times – 33 by Bonds, including one of his 11 this year. Delgado did it for the third time, the most by any opponent.
“I had no idea,” he said. “You’re great sources of useless information.”
DODGERS 5, MARLINS 3 at Miami: Brett Tomko (1-3) took a no-hitter into the sixth and bunted home a run on a suicide squeeze to help Los Angeles build a 4-0 lead and beat Dontrelle Willis (5-2).
Takashi Saito pitched the ninth for his 10th save, converting his 20th consecutive save opportunity over the past two seasons.
BREWERS 3, NATIONALS 1 at Milwaukee: Geoff Jenkins homered and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth and Milwaukee capped its best homestand in 15 years at 9-1.
PHILLIES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 3 at Phoenix: Ryan Howard hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning to erase a 3-0 deficit. It was the fourth grand slam of Howard’s career and his fourth pinch-hit homer.
ASTROS 3, REDS 2 at Cincinnati: Lance Berkman homered for the third game in a row, and right-hander Woody Williams (1-5) singled home a run to set up his first victory as Houston improved to 7-1 against Cincinnati.
CUBS 1, PIRATES 0 at Chicago: Alfonso Soriano hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first, and Jason Marquis (5-1) retired the first 16 batters he faced before finishing with a three-hitter, winning his fifth straight start.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
