Wright stays hot as Braves spoil Benson's debut

Terrmel Sledge hit a grand slam to lead Montreal past Florida, 8-5.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA -- Jaret Wright stayed undefeated in July and Johnny Estrada homered to lead the Atlanta Braves past New York 8-0 on Saturday night and spoil the Mets debut of Kris Benson.
The Mets acquired Benson from Pittsburgh a day earlier, hoping he would solidify their rotation. Pitching against the Braves for third straight start, Benson (8-9) lasted only five innings and lost for the second time in a row.
He beat Atlanta 4-3 on July 21 as a member of the Pirates, allowing only two runs on five hits in eight innings.
In Benson's next outing, he went six innings in a 4-2 loss. The Braves tagged him for seven runs on seven hits in this one as the Mets lost for the 13th time in their past 18 games, and fell eight games behind Atlanta in the NL East.
Wright (9-5) allowed three hits in seven innings, and improved to 4-0 this month -- joining teammates Russ Ortiz (5-0) and Mike Hampton (5-0) with unbeaten records in the month. Since falling to 2-5 in a loss to the Dodgers on May 22, Wright has won seven straight with a 2.29 ERA in 13 starts.
He also had two hits and scored twice, while Estrada finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Chipper Jones and J.D. Drew drove in two runs apiece for the Braves, who were 20-6 in July and lead the division by 41/2 games.
It was Atlanta's major league-leading 10th shutout.
Key moments
Wright bounced an infield single over Benson's head to lead off the third, then scored later in the inning on a broken-bat single by Drew. Jones drove in Marcus Giles with a shallow sacrifice fly to left, and Estrada singled to score Drew and make it 3-0.
The Braves chased Benson with a four-run fifth, highlighted by Estrada's three-run homer to right. His towering drive barely cleared the wall, landing in the first row of seats. Still, it gave Atlanta a 7-0 lead.
Drew made it 8-0 with an RBI single in the sixth, scoring Wright.
NEW YORKATLANTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Reyes 2b4000Furcal ss4020
Matsui ss3000NGreen 2b1000
MGintr p0000MGiles 2b3210
Stanton p0000JuCruz p0000
Zeile ph1000JDrew rf3222
Piazza c3010CJones 3b2112
VWilsn c1010JEstda c4134
Floyd lf4000Lroche 1b4000
Hidalgo rf3010AJones cf4000
Cmeron cf3000Thmas lf4000
Valent 1b3020JSWrht p3220
Wright 3b3000Grybsk p0000
Benson p1000DeRosa ss1000
Wllams ph1000
McEwg ss1000
Totals31050Totals338118
New York000000000--0
Atlanta00304100x--8
DP--New York 1, Atlanta 1. LOB--New York 4, Atlanta 5. 2B--MGiles (11). HR--JEstrada (6). SB--MGiles (9), JDrew (8). SF--CJones.
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Benson L,8-9577724
MGinter241102
Stanton100001
Atlanta
JSWright W,9-5730006
Gryboski110001
JuCruz110000
HBP--by Benson (MGiles). WP--Benson.
Umpires--Home, Dana DeMuth; First, Jim Joyce; Second, Kerwin Danley; Third, Marvin Hudson. T--2:26. A--51,125.
Expos 8, Marlins 5
MIAMI -- Terrmel Sledge hit his first career grand slam after Paul Lo Duca hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat for Florida to lead the Montreal Expos.
Lo Duca, acquired with two other players from the Dodgers on Friday, joined the Marlins in their dugout in the fifth inning and entered the game in the sixth as a pinch-hitter. He homered to put Florida ahead 5-4 and received a loud ovation from the fans. Lo Duca stayed in the game as the Marlins cacther.
In the seventh, the Expos loaded the bases against relievers Matt Perisho and Josias Manzanillo (3-3). Sledge hit Manzanillo's first pitch over the wall in right to give the Expos an 8-5 lead. Earlier, Sledge ended an 0-for-21 slump with a single in the fourth.
MONTREALFLORIDA
abrhbiabrhbi
Wlkrsn lf3211Pierre cf4020
EChvez cf5110LCstillo 2b4210
Vidro 2b5111Lowell 3b5110
TBtsta 3b4121Cbrera rf5031
NJhnsn 1b4110Conine lf3022
Sledge rf3124Easley 1b3000
Schndr c3000AGnzlz ss3100
Carroll ss4120Tranor c2000
JoPttsn p1000L Duca c2112
JRivra ph1000Burnett p2000
Biddle p0000Mrdcai ph1010
Ayala p1000Perisho p0000
Horgan p0000JMnzilo p0000
CCrdro p0000LHarrs ph0000
JEcrcn ph1000
BHwrd p0000
Totals348107Totals355115
Montreal001030400--8
Florida200012000--5
E--TBatista (10), Cabrera (7). DP--Montreal 2, Florida 1. LOB--Montreal 6, Florida 8. 2B--TBatista (14), Carroll (7), Cabrera (23), Conine (23). HR--Sledge (9), Lo Duca (11). SB--Wilkerson (8). CS--Pierre (16). S--JoPatterson, Pierre. SF--TBatista.
IPHRERBBSO
Montreal
JoPatterson563228
Biddle W,3-5122211
Ayala1 2-310001
Horgan1-320000
CCordero S,11100001
Florida
Burnett674313
Perisho2-301111
JManzanillo L,3-31 1-323323
BHoward110000
Horgan pitched to 2 batters in the 9th. HBP--by Burnett (Sledge), by JoPatterson (Easley). Umpires--Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Rob Drake; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Greg Gibson. T--3:15. A--21,562.
Rockies 8, Diamondbacks 4
DENVER -- Shawn Estes pitched six solid innings and Colorado took advantage of Arizona's shoddy defense in a five-run sixth inning to beat the Diamondbacks.
Colorado has won five straight over Arizona and seven of nine overall.
ARIZONACOLORADO
abrhbiabrhbi
McCkn rf4110Miles 2b3111
Olson cf4010Clayton ss5010
LGnzlz lf4001Helton 1b3011
Hlnbrn 1b5021LWalkr rf4110
Cintron ss3000PrWlsn cf4131
Dssens p0000Burnitz lf4211
Hirston 2b3221CJhson c4100
Tracy 3b3121LuGnzl 3b3111
Brito c4000Estes p2000
Webb p1000MaSwy ph1101
Choate p0000Smpson p0000
DBtista ph1000TGreen ph1011
Rndlph p0000Brnero p0000
Terrero cf0000Dhmnn p0000
Chacon p0000
Totals32484Totals348107
Arizona000110002--4
Colorado10000511x--8
E--Hillenbrand (10), Hairston 2 (6). DP--Arizona 1, Colorado 2. LOB--Arizona 9, Colorado 12. 2B--McCracken (5), Olson (7), Miles (13), PrWilson (9). 3B--Hairston (6). HR--Hairston (7). SB--PrWilson (2). SF--Tracy, Miles.
IPHRERBBSO
Arizona
Webb L,4-125 2-356143
Choate1-310001
Randolph1 2-332230
Dessens1-310000
Colorado
Estes W,11-4662232
Simpson100012
Bernero1 1-322210
Dohmann1-300010
Chacon S,25 1-300010
Dessens pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP--by Choate (LWalker), by Webb (LuGonzalez). WP--Webb 2. Umpires--Home, Derryl Cousins; First, Tony Randazzo; Second, Fieldin Culbreth; Third, Jim Wolf. T--2:58. A--32,392.
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