Bichette Breaks Out of Slump After Day Off

After going 0 for 8 in the first two games of a series with Philadelphia, Dante Bichette was given Sunday off by Colorado Manager Don Baylor.

Good move.

Bichette hit a two-run homer and a two-run double for the Rockies in a 9-2 win at Philadelphia on Monday night that stopped their losing streak at five games.

“Don Baylor usually knows when it’s time for a day off, and I usually agree,” Bichette said. “I tried to make the most of it. I just rested yesterday, tried to focus on my batting stroke.”

Colorado had scored only six runs with 16 hits in the first three games of the series. Every position player had at least one hit Monday.

Larry Walker had two hits, increasing his league-leading batting average to .404, and drove in two runs to give him 39 RBIs, also tops in the NL.

Rookie Mike DeJean, who was called up May 1, pitched 3 2/3 hitless innings in his first major-league decision.

Bobby Munoz (1-5) was tagged for six runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Walker’s two-run single and Bichette’s two-run double put the Rockies ahead in the third inning. Colorado made it 6-0 in the third on an RBI groundout by Galarraga and a run-scoring wild pitch by Munoz.

Atlanta 10, Pittsburgh 2--Chipper Jones homered and Greg Maddux had a two-run double as the Braves beat up on the Pirates for the third day in a row at Pittsburgh.

Since losing three of their first four games to Pittsburgh, including a 9-0 decision Friday, the Braves have outscored the Pirates, 27-6, and outhit them, 39-25.

Jones had a homer, double and single in his first three at-bats against Jason Schmidt (1-2).

Maddux (4-1) was 0 for 17 until his double chased Schmidt in the fifth inning. Maddux was lifted with a nine-run lead after giving up a run and striking out seven over five innings. He lowered his earned-run average to 1.57.

Michael Tucker added a solo homer in the sixth off Clint Sadowsky, giving the Braves eight homers and 19 extra-base hits in the four-game series.

Jones, Fred McGriff and Mark Lemke had RBI singles in a four-run first finished off by Jeff Blauser’s sacrifice fly, and Jones led off the third with his fourth homer.

Florida 11, Houston 4--Gregg Zaun had three run-scoring singles and rookie reliever Rob Stanifer won his first major-league decision for the Marlins at Miami.

Stanifer gave up one run in 2 2/3 innings. He also singled in his first big-league at-bat and scored on Bobby Bonilla’s two-run double in the sixth.

Florida took the lead on Gold Glove second baseman Craig Biggio’s bases-loaded error during a five-run fourth inning that knocked out Shane Reynolds (4-3).

The Marlins tied a season high with 14 hits when reliever Felix Heredia singled for his first major-league hit in the eighth.

Zaun had two-out RBI singles in the second and fifth innings. Alex Arias added a two-run single in the eighth.

Derek Bell hit a 424-foot homer and an RBI triple against Florida starter Pat Rapp, who gave up three runs in four innings and departed after a rain delay.

Notes

After a conference call with reporters to discuss his recovery from a broken wrist and a suspected case of tuberculosis, injured New York Mets pitcher Jason Isringhausen called the team’s public relations director Jay Horwitz “Jew boy.” Isringhausen apologized for the comment, but added that he meant nothing by it. “We all talk to Jay like that,” he said. “Jay’s almost like my brother.” . . . The New York Mets swapped middle relievers with the Red Sox, sending Toby Borland to Boston for another right-hander, Rick Trlicek. . . . Philadelphia’s Mark Portugal underwent surgery on his right elbow and may not pitch for the rest of this season. . . . Al Martin of Pittsburgh was ejected for throwing his bat and helmet after a third-inning strikeout against Atlanta.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Dante Bichette

Team: Colorado

Performance: 3 for 5, 4 RBIs, double, home run

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Chipper Jones

Team: Atlanta

Performance: 3 for 4, 2 RBIs, double, home run

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Derek Bell

Team: Houston

Performance: 3 for 4, 2 RBIs, triple, home run

Team’s Result: Loss

*

Player: Bobby Bonilla

Team: Florida

Performance: 2 for 3, 2 RBIs, 2 doubles

Team’s Result: Win

PITCHING

Player: Greg Maddux

Team: Atlanta

Performance: 5 innings, 1 run, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Mike DeJean

Team: Colorado

Performance: 3 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 30 pitches

Team’s Result: Win