It’s Getting Even Wilder for Wagner

A day after losing his job as Houston’s closer, Billy Wagner--once considered one of the best in baseball in that role--walked all four batters he faced and threw a go-ahead, run-scoring wild pitch Saturday in San Francisco, where the Giants beat the Astros, 6-4.

“I’ve got 50,000 people out there with theories about Billy Wagner,” said Wagner, who last season set a franchise record with 39 saves. “But I’m not throwing any different than I have in the past.”

The difference is in his success, or lack of same.

Wagner, who was demoted after blowing eight of 14 save chances, replaced starter Jose Lima in the sixth inning with a 4-3 lead, two on and two out.

Wagner loaded the bases with a walk to Bill Mueller, then tied the game by walking Barry Bonds on a full count. Wagner next threw the ball in the dirt on a 0-and-2 pitch to Jeff Kent, allowing Marvin Benard to score the go-ahead run.

Then Wagner walked Kent, reloading the bases, and walked J.T. Snow, forcing in another run. Marc Valdes relieved and struck out Rich Aurilia.

Astro Manager Larry Dierker said Wagner’s downfall this season is as confusing to him as it is to his recently demoted closer. Wagner’s mechanics seem fine, he said.

“I’d have liked to find an easier situation for him,” Dierker said. “But this was his day.”

Lima (1-10), winless in 13 starts since beating Pittsburgh, 11-1, on April 5, gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I go out there and pitch like I’m 9-and-1 not 1-and-9. I’m not happy, but for the last month I’ve gone out there and pitched well, I think.”

Giant Manager Dusty Baker wasn’t about to theorize about Houston’s pitching woes.

“Sometimes there’s no explanation,” Baker said. “I’m not going to try to figure out their problems. We just got ours figured out.”

The Giants have won five in a row and have climbed to two games over .500 for the first time since May 13.

Livan Hernandez (5-6) won for the fifth time in his last seven starts, giving up four runs and eight hits in seven innings. Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 14 chances.

Kent’s RBI single and Snow’s sacrifice fly put the Giants ahead in the first. Kent leads the NL with 64 RBIs.

Colorado 14, Arizona 5--Jeffrey Hammonds hit two of the Rockies’ four home runs and drove in four runs in a win at Denver.

The victory moved Colorado to within one game of first-place Arizona in the NL West. It’s the closest Colorado has been to the top spot this late in the season since June 11, 1997.

Brian Bohanon (3-4) pitched into the seventh inning and Jeff Cirillo and Mike Lansing each had three hits and two RBIs for the Rockies. They have won 19 of 23 at Coors Field and improved to a major league-best 24-8 at home.

While Colorado’s hitters had no problem against Brian Anderson (6-2), Bohanon stifled Arizona for the first five innings before tiring in the seventh.

Staked to a 7-0 lead, Bohanon gave up a two-run homer to Tony Womack in the sixth and left with one out in the seventh after singles by Matt Williams and Greg Colbrunn.

Philadelphia 9, Atlanta 3--After watching a pregame ceremony that honored the 1980 World Series champions, the present-day version of the Phillies got seven strikeouts in six innings from Cliff Politte (1-1) and four hits from Bobby Abreu in a win at Philadelphia.

Alex Arias had a homer and three RBIs for the Phillies, who scored three runs on five consecutive hits in the first inning against former Philadelphia pitcher Terry Mulholland (6-6).

Run-scoring singles by Scott Rolen and Pat Burrell and an RBI double by Kevin Jordan put the Phillies ahead, 3-0.

Politte (1-1), starting in place of the injured Andy Ashby, gave up two runs, six hits and walked one as the last-place Phillies took their second consecutive game from Atlanta, which has the best record in the National League.

Chicago 1, Montreal 0--Pitcher Ismael Valdes had drove in what would be the game’s only run with a single, then left before he could get credit for the victory at Chicago.

Valdes gave way to Steve Rain (1-0) after three innings because of a broken blister on the middle finger of his right hand. He appeared to have a bloody blister on his index finger as well.

He gave up three hits and walked four over three innings, striking out one. His RBI single in the second inning scored Joe Girardi, who had reached on an error and moved to second on a walk to Jeff Huson.

Rain, called up Triple-A IowaFriday, pitched three innings of scoreless relief. Felix Heredia retired one batter, Tim Worrell pitched one inning and Rick Aguilera pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 19 opportunities and his ninth save in a row.

Dustin Hermanson (5-4) took the loss, giving up one run on three hits and three walks over six innings.

Milwaukee 3, New York 2--Marquis Grissom had a two-run single in the sixth inning, and the Brewers took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness by Glendon Rusch in winning at Milwaukee.

John Snyder (2-2) gave up both runs and seven hits in seven innings, Curtis Leskanic pitched the eighth and Bob Wickman closed with a perfect ninth for his eighth save. The Brewers won despite being outhit, 9-4.

Ron Belliard led off the game with a homer off Rusch (4-5).

Florida 4, Pittsburgh 3--Rich Loiselle hit Alex Gonzalez with a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th inning to give the Marlins the victory at Pittsburgh.

Loiselle (0-1), the fifth Pittsburgh pitcher, gave up a double to Preston Wilson, an infield single to pinch-hitter Kevin Millar and walked Derrek Lee before hitting Gonzalez with an 0-and-1 pitch.

Antonio Alfonseca (2-4) got the win despite blowing his third save in 22 opportunities in the ninth inning.

The game included a 16-minute delay after umpire Greg Bonin was removed from the field by ambulance after he was knocked down by a foul ball off his mask in the eighth inning. Bonin suffered a concussion.

He was working behind the plate when Pittsburgh’s Wil Cordero fouled a pitch from Braden Looper straight back. It struck Bonin with enough force to knock off his mask and immediately force him to the ground.