Sosa’s 53rd Gets the Cubs Going

Sammy Sosa got Chicago’s home-run parade started with No. 53. Later, Jose Hernandez would add his 20th and even pitcher Steve Trachsel got in the act with his first.

Sosa’s 414-foot line drive that carried into the bullpen in right-center at Coors Field sent the Cubs on their way to a 10-5 rout of the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

Sosa’s solo homer left him one behind St. Louis’ Mark McGwire, who has 54 in the pursuit of Roger Maris’ single-season record of 61.

It was Sosa’s first homer in four games at hitter-friendly Coors Field this season.

“It really was a good pitch,” Sosa said. “It was down, and I went down and got it. He [Colorado starter John Thomson] pitched me tough and didn’t give me too much to hit all night.

In four subsequent at-bats, Sosa grounded into a double play, struck out, flied out and was intentionally walked--the latter drawing boos from the Colorado fans.

Hernandez broke a 4-4 tie with a three-run homer in the sixth off Thomson (8-9). Trachsel had the second homer of his major league career, a two-run blast in the fifth.

Houston 2, Pittsburgh 0--Randy Johnson struck out 16 at the Astrodome for his third shutout since joining Houston and the Astros snapped Pittsburgh’s nine-game winning streak.

Johnson (5-1) made his first NL start after being traded from Seattle on July 31 against the Pirates, beating them with 12 strikeouts in seven innings.

Cincinnati 10, Florida 8--Bret Boone homered for the third time in two games and drove in four runs at Cincinnati as the Reds remained perfect against the Marlins.

The Reds are 7-0 against the Marlins this season, one of three teams that have not lost to the defending World Series champions. Florida is 0-25 against Cincinnati, San Francisco and Milwaukee.

The Marlins, last in the NL East, have lost 12 of their last 15. Cincinnati, which began the day in last place in the NL Central, has won six of seven.

St. Louis 5, Atlanta 4--It was back to the pedestrian record quest for Mark McGwire.

The Cardinals’ slugger remained stuck on 54 home runs, disappointing thousands of flashbulbs popping on every swing at Busch Stadium.

Ron Gant’s bases-loaded RBI single in the 10th inning off Dennis Martinez helped St. Louis snap a six-game losing streak.

McGwire, who also doubled in the third and struck out in the eighth and 10th, has 140 walks in 135 games and needs 30 in the last 28 games to tie Babe Ruth’s mark of 170 in 1923.

San Diego 12, Montreal 8--Carlos Hernandez’s two-run single capped a nine-run fourth, San Diego’s biggest inning this year, and the Padres rallied from a seven-run deficit for their sixth straight victory.

The rally came too late to help Andy Ashby, who lasted just 3 2/3 innings for the second straight start and failed in his third attempt at his 17th win.

Arizona 6, Milwaukee 3--Travis Lee, batting only .143 since coming off the disabled list Aug. 9, drove in four runs with a double and two singles as the Diamondbacks snapped a five-game home losing streak.

Brian Anderson (10-12) gave up a two-run homer to Jeff Cirillo in the first inning, but limited the Brewers to one run through the next six innings.