this really pisses me off..damn bullpen

[Murphy3]

Montreal 5, Atlanta 4, 10 innings

Preview - Box Score - Recap

September 17, 2003

AP - Sep 16, 11:13 pm EDT
More Photos


MONTREAL (AP) -- Greg Maddux could only look on as his latest shot at 15 wins slipped away.

Maddux was denied the victory when Atlanta's bullpen failed to hold a three-run lead, and the Montreal Expos beat the Braves 5-4 Tuesday night on Orlando Cabrera's run-scoring double in the 10th inning.

``It's a part of the game,'' Maddux said. ``Ten years ago I might have finished it, who knows.''

Maddux, trying to become the first pitcher to win 15 or more games in 16 consecutive seasons, allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, including three doubles. Maddux, making his second attempt to win No. 15, is tied with Cy Young at 15 straight 15-win seasons.

``You tip your hat to the other team,'' Maddux said. ``Cabrera clutched up and got a big double there.''

Javy Lopez caught Maddux in a regular-season game for the first time since Sept. 8, 1998.


Despite the loss, Atlanta lowered the magic number to two for clinching its 12th consecutive division title. Second-place Florida lost 14-0 at Philadelphia.

``It's not about me or any other one guy here,'' Maddux said. ``It's about what we do in the next two weeks to get ready for the postseason -- period.''

Atlanta led 4-1 before Vladimir Guererro's RBI single in the eighth off Jaret Wright.

Ron Calloway hit a leadoff double off Will Cunnane in the ninth and scored on Brian Schneider's one-out RBI double. Jose Macias hit an infield single as second baseman Marcus Giles knocked down the ball with a dive, and Brad Wilkerson tied the score with a sacrifice fly off Kent Mercker.

``It's always good to win, and any time you help the team win, it's satisfying,'' Calloway said.

Then in the 10th, Guerrero drew a one-out walk off Roberto Hernandez (5-3) in the 10th and slid home with the winning run on Cabrera's liner to the right-field corner.

``We let them back in the game in the eighth, and they took advantage in the ninth and 10th,'' Chipper Jones said. ``We haven't been getting a lot of consistency once we get past our starters. Hopefully, that will solidify before the end of the season.''


Rocky Biddle (5-8) pitched the 10th, striking out Andruw Jones and retiring pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa on a groundout to escape a bases-loaded jam.

``Rocky did a tremendous job,'' Expos manager Frank Robinson said. ``He got out of a jam, and that might be good for his psyche and getting him back on track.''

Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones homered on back-to-back pitches from Tomo Ohka in the seventh inning.

Chipper Jones drove in three runs to give him 101 RBIs and tied a National League record with his eighth straight 100-RBI season, joining Mel Ott, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.

Montreal, in its second-to-last home game, surpassed 1 million in home attendance for the first time in six years. A crowd of 9,843 raised the Expos' total to 1,008,113 -- including 22 home games that were moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Todd Zeile's sacrifice fly in the seventh drove in Montreal's first run, andChipper Jones hit a two-run single in the eighth off Luis Ayala.

Notes

It was the 51st time overall Maddux and Lopez have been batterymates during the regular season. ... It was the sixth time this season Atlanta has hit consecutive homers, including three in a row twice. ... Ohka knocked down Rafael Furcal's grounder back to the mound and threw a two-hopper from his knees to 1B Brad Wilkerson for the first out of the third. ... The Expos have drawn 695,231 in 58 games at Olympic Stadium, an average of 11,987 per game inMontreal.


Updated on Wednesday, Sep

[QCarFan]

I seen highlights of the game before it finished, and thought he had the record. I agree murphy3, that's pretty pathetic and unacceptable.

[Drbio]

``You tip your hat to the other team,'' Maddux said.

This is all you needed to read to understand Maddux. Class personified. No excuses. No whines.

[Murphy3]

it is absolutely unbelievable what this guy has done.

he's simply the best pitcher to come around in a long time..better than nolan ryan..better than roger clemens..better career than randy johnson,..martinez, brown..etc.

the guy is a stud. and he's a stud with an 84 MPH fastball

[QCarFan]

better than all those guys M3?