No No-Hitter, but Gardner Takes It

L.A. Times Archives

Aug. 9, 1997 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

Mark Gardner didn’t think he had no-hit stuff, merely something a notch lower.

Gardner held Montreal hitless until the seventh inning and finished with a two-hitter to pitch the San Francisco Giants past the Expos, 4-0, Friday night in Montreal.

“I don’t think you could call it no-hit stuff,” Gardner said. “I call it winning stuff.”

Gardner (12-5) struck out seven, including the side in the ninth inning, and walked one. He matched a personal best for wins in a season and got his sixth career shutout in 1 hour 53 minutes.

“They know that I have a curveball,” Gardner said. “Tonight, I spotted the fastball. Most of them were waiting on the curveball, so that’s what let me get ahead with the heater.”

Gardner lost his no-hit bid with one out in the seventh when rookie Vladimir Guerrero doubled off the left-field wall, just over the glove of a leaping Barry Bonds.

“That ball was just an inch away from Barry’s glove,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “Who knows what would have happened if he gets it?”

Darrin Fletcher, 10 for 26 lifetime against Gardner, added a single in the eighth.

Gardner knew he had something special going.

“I was aware of it, but I don’t think you can no-hit a team like [Montreal],” Gardner said. “They’re pretty good hitting-wise. I figured Fletch would get a hit. He owns me.”

In 1991, while pitching for Montreal, Gardner held the Dodgers hitless for nine innings. He gave up two hits in the 10th, however, and lost, 1-0.

“Gardy’s a solid pitcher in this league,” Fletcher said. “I think you’ve got to get to him early. We weren’t able to do it and he got stronger.”

St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 1--Mark McGwire hit a 441-foot home run in his first home game for the Cardinals, and St. Louis stopped its losing streak at five.

The Cardinals won for only the second time in 11 games.

McGwire, traded from Oakland to the Cardinals last week, had managed only two singles in 26 at-bats before connecting for a solo shot in the third inning.

The Busch Stadium crowd of 32,530 gave McGwire a standing ovation in his first home at-bat, and he popped up. His home run brought the fans to their feet again.

McGwire, who hit 34 home runs for the Athletics, had gone 71 at-bats since hitting two on July 16 at Kansas City.

Ray Lankford hit a solo homer that put St. Louis ahead, 3-0, in the third. His 23rd home run was the first for the Cardinals in 12 games, a span of 390 at-bats by St. Louis.

McGwire followed Lankford with a drive into the left-field stands off Mark Leiter (7-12)

Donovan Osborne (2-4) avenged a 10-1 loss to Leiter and the Phillies on Sunday, giving up three hits and no earned runs in seven innings. He struck out six and walked none.

The start was Osborne’s third after being sidelined nearly three months because of a groin pull.

Florida 6, Atlanta 4--Charles Johnson hit a two-run homer and drove in another run with a bases-loaded walk as the Marlins continued their dominance of the Braves before a sellout crowd in Atlanta.

In the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the National League, the Marlins beat Atlanta for the seventh time in nine meetings this season and moved within 4 1/2 games of first place in the NL East.

Florida has won nine of 11.

Alex Fernandez (14-8) survived a shaky start to win his fourth in a row. Fernandez, who beat the Braves last Sunday, gave up seven hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out four before leaving for a pinch-hitter after six innings with a 6-2 lead.

Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his 28th save, striking out two.

New York 6, Houston 1--Brian McRae made an impressive debut with his new team, getting three hits and scoring twice to lead the Mets to victory.

McRae, acquired earlier in the day along with relievers Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell in a six-player trade with the Chicago Cubs, took an afternoon flight to New York and made it to Shea Stadium in time to bat leadoff.

He was booed by the fickle New York fans when he was picked off after drawing a leadoff walk in the first, but redeemed himself with a triple and two singles to help send Houston to its fifth consecutive loss.

Carlos Baerga, John Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo had two hits apiece for New York, which rallied for its major league-leading 36th comeback victory of the year.

Colorado 5, Pittsburgh 3--Eric Young doubled twice and singled, driving in two runs as the Rockies won at Denver. Colorado is 2-7 against Pittsburgh this season.

Larry Walker went two for four and raised his average to .387.

Jon Lieber (6-12) failed to win for his sixth consecutive start. He gave up five runs and 10 hits in six innings.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Brett Butler

Team: Dodgers

Performance: 3 for 5, two runs

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Brian McRae

Team: New York

Performance: Triple, 2 singles, 2 runs