Rockies, Braves Play Long Ball and Split Two

Larry Walker hit his first homer of the season and the Colorado Rockies used a six-run third inning Sunday night to beat Atlanta, 10-7, and gain a doubleheader split with the Braves at Denver.

Andres Galarraga, who spent the past five seasons in Colorado, homered for Atlanta in both ends of the day-night doubleheader and the Braves tied an NL record by scoring all their runs on five homers to win the first game, 5-3.

The power trend continued in Game 2 as Walker hit a solo shot off Dennis Martinez (1-2) in the first inning, and Galarraga countered with a three-run homer in the third.

Walker, who led the National League with 49 homers last season, was six for seven with three stolen bases and four runs in the two games.

The Rockies, who snapped Atlanta’s five-game winning streak, chased Martinez and took the lead for good in the third.

In the first game, Chipper Jones hit his National League-leading ninth homer, and Javy Lopez, Michael Tucker, Keith Lockhart and Galarraga homered for the Braves to support starter Kevin Millwood (3-0).

Millwood, coming off a one-hitter Tuesday, struck out nine in six innings and won his sixth decision in a row. Mark Wohlers closed out Atlanta’s fifth consecutive victory by pitching the ninth for his fifth save.

St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 2--Juan Acevedo got out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the ninth inning as the Cardinals beat the Phillies at St. Louis.

Acevedo said he wasn’t nervous.

“I wanted to be in that situation, I was calm the whole time,” he said. “I had no feelings. I knew I had a tough task ahead of me. That’s the way I am, aggressive.”

With the Cardinals ahead 3-0, Rex Hudler singled off Lance Painter leading off the ninth. Desi Relaford doubled and Kevin Sefcik hit a two-run double.

New York 14, Cincinnati 0--Bernard Gilkey, kept out of the lineup the day before because of a head cold, scored five runs in the Mets’ rout of the Reds at Cincinnati.

Gilkey and John Olerud each had three RBIs and Al Leiter pitched seven shutout innings. Gilkey became the fourth Met player to score five runs in a game. The last was Darryl Strawberry on Aug. 16, 1987, at Wrigley Field.

It was the Mets’ biggest shutout in three decades, and Cincinnati’s worst loss in six seasons.

Montreal 5, Houston 4--Rondell White hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Expos won at Houston to stop a 10-game losing streak against the Astros.

Florida 4, Arizona 3--Cliff Floyd hit a leadoff homer and Gregg Zaun had a two-run shot at Phoenix as the Marlins snapped Arizona’s three-game winning streak.

Rookie Brian Meadows (2-2) gave up six hits and one run in six innings before giving way to the bullpen. Meadows gave up only one runner to reach third base after Arizona’s Andy Fox tied it 1-1 with a one-out homer in the first.

San Diego at Pittsburgh--The Padres finally got cooled off--by the weather in Pittsburgh. The Padre-Pirate game was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 20. The Padres have won 11 of 12 games and are 14-3.