Marlins Rap Out Another Victory
National League
Pat Rapp pitched a five-hitter for Florida’s second consecutive shutout and the Marlins extended the best start in their history by beating the Cincinnati Reds 10-0 Friday night at Riverfront Stadium.
Rapp (1-0) provided an encore to Alex Fernandez’s onehitter in Chicago by holding the Reds to three singles - two of them infield hits - and doubles by Eddie Taubensee and Willie Greene.
Marlins pitchers have thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
Cardinals 4, Astros 2 St. Louis
Ron Gant, mired in a 5-for-32 slump with zero RBIs to start the season, hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning that gave St. Louis the victory.
Padres 8, Phillies 3 Philadelphia
Steve Finley went 2 for 3 with four RBIs as San Diego spoiled Philadelphia’s home opener.
Ken Caminiti’s sacrifice fly broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth, and Finley hit a bases-loaded triple in a five-run seventh.
Dodgers 7, Pirates 1 Pittsburgh
Raul Mondesi ruined Pittsburgh’s first sellout since 1994 with a home run and rally-killing throw to the plate, leading Los Angeles to a win.
The Dodgers, hitting only .212 entering the game, got more than enough offense from Mondesi and Greg Gagne, who had a bases-loaded triple in a four-run ninth.
Expos at Rockies, ppd. Denver
The snowed-out game will be made up Monday.
Braves at Cubs, ppd. Chicago
The snowed-out game will be made up July 22, in a doubleheader.
Tartabull, Hudler on DL
Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Danny Tartabull will be out at least six weeks after a test detected subtle fractures in his left foot. Tartabull, a free agent outfielder signed to a $2.3 million contract in spring training, fouled a ball off his foot in the season opener and has been hobbled ever since. Joining Tartabull on the DL will be utility man Rex Hudler, who pulled his left hamstring after getting his first hit of the season in the sixth inning of the Phillies’ 8-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday.
Nied retires Pitcher David Nied retired, ending an injury-plagued career that never lived up to expectations.
The 28-year-old right-hander, chosen first overall in the 1992 major league baseball expansion draft, compiled a record of 17-18 with a 5.07 earned run average with the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies.
Nied was 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in six games with Colorado last year and 3-8 with a 12.27 ERA in 16 games with the Rockies’ Triple-A Colorado Springs affiliate.
Clearing the bases
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza left Friday night’s game in Pittsburgh with a bruised left elbow sustained when he was hit by a Francisco Cordova pitch. Precautionary X-rays were negative. … Reds closer Jeff Brantley threw off a mound Friday and reported no problems with his right shoulder, which forced him onto the disabled list last week. Brantley hopes to throw in the bullpen again Sunday and to come off the disabled list later in the week.