Colon’s Debut Gets Rave Reviews

Bartolo Colon wasn’t too impressed with his first start for the Montreal Expos, but his performance left his new teammates gushing.

Colon won in his first start since coming over from Cleveland, and Fernando Tatis hit a go-ahead grand slam as the Expos beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-2, Tuesday night at Atlanta.

Michael Barrett also homered for second-place Montreal, which pulled within eight games of the Braves in the National League East. Atlanta lost for just the second time in 13 games.

The Indians sent Colon, pitcher Tim Drew and cash to the Expos last week for first baseman Lee Stevens and three minor leaguers. In 16 starts with Cleveland, Colon was 10-4 with a 2.55 earned-run average and won his last three starts.

He didn’t miss a beat in his first appearance ever against Atlanta. Colon gave up two runs in the first--one earned--and then held the Braves scoreless over his final six innings.

The big right-hander appeared to get stronger as the game wore on, throwing a 98-mph fastball in the seventh inning on his 97th pitch. He gave up only five hits and struck out six.

“He’s the most impressive pitcher I’ve ever caught,” Barrett said. “I know that’s going to make some of my boys jealous. I was trying really hard not to smile too much back there. I was so happy.”

The Expos got off to a rocky start for their new pitcher, committing two errors in the first. Rafael Furcal led off with a triple and scored when Vladimir Guerrero misplayed a fly ball by Julio Franco into a three-base error.

Franco came home when Gary Sheffield reached on a throwing error by shortstop Orlando Cabrera, giving the Braves a 2-0 lead.

“He got a few bad breaks in the first inning, but he shut them down and didn’t give them anything else,” Montreal Manager Frank Robinson said. “He comes right at you. He doesn’t let up.”

Houston 6, Cincinnati 5--Lance Berkman homered on his first two swings, driving in five runs, and Gregg Zaun hit a 10th-inning sacrifice fly for the Astros at Cincinnati. Berkman’s two homers put the Astros up, 5-1, in the third, but Austin Kearns had four hits, the most in his career, and Adam Dunn hit a solo homer as the Reds tied the score at 5 in the sixth inning.

Craig Biggio led off the 10th with a double off Danny Graves (3-2) and Berkman was intentionally walked. After Richard Hidalgo drew a one-out walk that loaded the bases, Zaun hit a sacrifice fly to left field.

New York 12, Philadelphia 6--Jeromy Burnitz had three runs batted in, Mo Vaughn had two RBIs and Pedro Astacio (8-3) won for just the second time since May 14 for the Mets at Philadelphia. The Mets, who had lost four of five, moved back to .500 at 41-41.

Scott Rolen had a two-run double and two-run homer for Philadelphia.

Florida 9, Chicago 7--Cliff Floyd had three hits, including a go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, for the Marlins at Miami. Sammy Sosa hit his 28th homer for the Cubs, who have lost seven of eight. Florida’s Brad Penny, making his first start since May 18, came off the disabled list and gave up five runs. Chicago’s Tom Gordon made his first appearance for the Cubs since Sept. 5., striking out two in one inning.

St. Louis 11, San Diego 5--Placido Polanco, Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols homered on consecutive at-bats in the second and Polanco finished with three RBIs to help the Cardinals win at St. Louis and take a one-game lead in the NL Central over Cincinnati.

Milwaukee 12, Pittsburgh 6--Ruben Quevedo limited the Pirates to three runs in 6 2/3 innings and also drove in three runs at Pittsburgh.