Another Win Gets Away From Padres

The shock in the San Diego Padre clubhouse said it all -- the National League’s worst team blew another one.

Brian Lawrence took a three-hit shutout into the ninth inning before stumbling and handing the Milwaukee Brewers a 3-2 win Thursday at San Diego.

What made it so stunning was that two nights earlier, Jake Peavy also took a three-hit shutout into the ninth, only to see the Brewers rally for a win.

Unlike that game, when Peavy and the bullpen both stumbled, this one was all on Lawrence, the Padre ace.

“I tried to finish it and couldn’t. There’s nobody to blame but me,� Lawrence said. “I’ve never seen it like this.... Something new happens every day.�

Lawrence (3-6) had retired 13 of 15 going into the ninth. He gave up Scott Podsednik’s leadoff double to center, then got Richie Sexson to ground out and struck out Geoff Jenkins.

“I never had any doubt. I felt like I could get the win,� Lawrence said.

But Brady Clark singled to score Podsednik, took second on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on Wes Helms’ double. Helms scored the winning run on Eddie Perez’s single.

Montreal 3, Florida 2 -- Orlando Cabrera’s bloop single drove in a run to cap a three-run Expo rally in the seventh inning at Miami.

Tomo Ohka (4-5) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings for Montreal. He had been 0-3 with an 8.04 earned-run average in four road starts.

New York 5, Philadelphia 0 -- Steve Trachsel pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, outdueling Kevin Millwood at Philadelphia. Cliff Floyd had a two-run double and Rey Sanchez, Jeromy Burnitz and Tony Clark each had run-scoring doubles for the Mets, who have won four of six against Philadelphia in two weeks.

Houston 7, St. Louis 4 -- Jeff Kent started a rally in the eighth inning with a double and hit a two-run double in the ninth at St. Louis.

The Astros scored twice in the eighth and added two more runs in the ninth after failing to hold a 3-1 lead in the seventh.