TONIGHT IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Philadelphia (21-19) at NY Mets (24-18) 1:40 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Mike Piazza looks to set a franchise record by homering for the fifth straight game this afternoon as the hot-hitting New York Mets take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Piazza went deep for the fourth consecutive contest Friday, going back-to-back with John Olerud, as the Mets won the opener of this three-game series, 7-5. Piazza matched the club record of homers in four straight games, accomplished five times, most recently by Bobby Bonilla. Olerud was 3-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and has reached base in all 41 of his starts this year. Benny Agbayani, called up from the minors last week, added three hits and has 13 in his last 17 at-bats. New York, which has hit 25 homers in its last 14 games, has amassed 28 runs in winning its last three contests. Now the Mets will try to solve red-hot righthander Paul Byrd (5-2, 3.50 ERA). Byrd beat the Mets in his last start, surrendering two runs and eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He improved to 3-0 lifetime against them. A pleasant surprise in the Phillies' rotation this season, Byrd is trying to win his fourth straight start. He has yielded seven runs -- six earned -- while walking six and striking out 16 over 23 1/3 innings during his personal three-game winning streak. He is 3-0 in four road starts, allowing nine earned runs over 31 1/3 innings in that span. Byrd hopes to help the Phillies halt a three-game losing streak. They won two of three at home against the Mets last week. New York counters with the struggling Bobby Jones (3-2, 5.22). Following a 3-0 start, Jones is winless in five outings. He has been torched in losing his last two starts, allowing 15 runs and 21 hits over 11 innings. After surrendering just three runs in his first three outings, Jones has given up at least three in each of his last five. Jones did not record a decision in three starts against Philadelphia last season, allowing nine runs and 21 hits in 15 2/3 innings. He remained 4-4 all-time versus the Phillies. Arizona (23-20) at Colorado (17-21) 3:05 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- DENVER (Ticker) -- Larry Walker attempts to extend his hitting streak to 22 games today when the Colorado Rockies look to make it three straight wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks. After setting the longest hitting streak of his career earlier in the game, Walker provided the real drama in the bottom of the 11th inning when his solo homer gave the Rockies an 8-7 victory over the Arizona on Friday. Walker's, whose hitting streak is the longest current streak in the majors, finished with three hits on Friday and is batting an impressive .506 (43-of-85) with 10 homers and 33 RBI during the streak, increasing his major league-leading average to .435. The Rockies are seeking their second three-game winning streak of the season today. They also won three in a row from April 28-30. Bobby Jones (1-2, 5.50 ERA) makes his third start for Colorado. After six relief appearances, Jones has split two starts and has allowed seven runs -- four earned -- and nine hits over 10 innings. Arizona has lost three straight games and is attempting to avoid its longest losing streak since opening the season with four straight losses. The Diamondbacks have dropped three of five contests on a seven-game road trip and are just 9-15 away from home. A struggling Omar Daal (3-4, 3.88) takes the mound for Arizona. The lefthander has dropped four of his last five starts and is coming off a loss against Colorado on Sunday when he allowed three runs -- two earned -- and four hits in seven innings. Daal is 1-2 against Colorado lifetime. Houston (25-15) at San Francisco (24-18) 4:05 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- For the seventh time this season, Chris Holt tries to break into the win column when the Houston Astros battle the San Francisco Giants in the middle contest of a three-game series. Holt (0-5, 6.29 ERA) was tagged for four runs and 11 hits over six innings against Montreal in his last appearance on May 9. He has pitched more than six innings in just one start and has allowed at least three earned runs in his last four outings. Holt is 0-2 with a 2.14 ERA in three appearances aganst the Giants. Russ Ortiz (5-2, 2.53) looks to extend a career-high four-game winning streak for San Francisco. Ortiz did not pick up a decision against the Astros on Sunday, allowing two runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 5-4 win. Over the last five games, Ortiz has surrendered 10 runs -- eight earned -- and 28 hits in 34 1/3 innings. One of Ortiz's losses was against Houston on April 13 when he gave up four runs and six hits in six innings despite striking out nine in a 7-3 setback. That is his only decision against the Astros. The Giants defeated the Astros on Friday, 4-3, for just the third time in seven contests this season. Armando Rios doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Robb Nen picked up his 13th save to tie for the National League lead. Astros third baseman Ken Caminiti left in the third inning with a strained right calf while attempting to steal second. He is listed as day-to-day. Pittsburgh (19-22) at Florida (13-29) 7:05 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- MIAMI (Ticker) -- The Florda Marlins gun for ther first three-game winning streak of the season tonight when they battle the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third of a four-game series. Florida won consecutive games for the first time this season with a 8-1 pounding of Pittsburgh on Friday thanks to a four-hitter from Livan Hernandez. The Marlins, who have not allowed an earned run in 17 innings, snapped a three-game skid with the win. The Pirates are riding a five-game losing streak, which prompted a meeting from manager Gene Lamont on Friday. "We had a nice team meeting to discuss some things like the terrible baseball we've been playing," Lamont said. "You can't blame it on the road. Big league teams have to win on the road." Pittsburgh is 8-13 away from Three Rivers Stadium. Florida sends Ryan Dempster (1-1, 4.91 ERA) to the hill. Dempster surrendered three runs and six hits over five innings on Monday in an 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. In two starts, Dempster has 13 strikeouts but given up as many hits in 11 innings. In two appearances against the Pirates last season, Dempster allowed seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, posting an 0-1 mark. Todd Ritchie (2-3, 3.69) looks to snap a personal two-skid for Pittsburgh. He allowed just two runs and six hits over seven innings Monday against Atlanta, but received no run support in a 2-1 defeat. During his streak, Ritchie surrendered 10 runs -- seven earned -- and 13 hits in 10 1/3 innings. This is Ritchie's first ever appearance against the Marlins. Milwaukee (19-21) at Montreal (12-27) 7:05 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- MONTREAL (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers battle the Montreal Expos, losers in eight of their last 10 games, tonight in the middle contest of a three-game series. Ron Belliard doubled home two runs with one out in the top of the 11th as Milwaukee improved to 3-1 at Olympic Stadium with a 5-3 triumph over Montreal on Friday. Scott Karl (5-1, 3.75 ERA) hopes to extend a personal four-game winning streak for the Brewers. He gave up three runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings on Monday in a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets. Karl has won his last three starts, surrendering eight runs -- seven earned -- over 20 innings. Karl's longest winning streak is eight, which he set in 1997. Against the Expos on April 15, Karl surrendered four runs and eight hits over six innings in a 9-4 triumph to raise his record to 3-0 against Montreal. Montreal hopes for a better performance from Javier Vazquez (1-3, 6.48 ERA). He allowed seven runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings on Sunday in a 9-4 setback against Pittsburgh. The Expos are 3-5 in games in which he starts. Vazquez was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- and seven hits over four innings against Milwaukee in an 8-4 loss on April 13. In three games against the Brewers, he has allowed 16 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings. Chicago Cubs (22-17) at Atlanta (25-16) 7:10 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Chicago Cubs attempt to win a season-high sixth straight game tonight when they battle the Atlanta Braves to continue a four-game series. Kevin Tapani (3-1, 1.77 ERA) has been brilliant for the Cubs and hopes to continue that trend tonight. He pitched a complete-game four hitter on Monday, allowing one run in an 8-1 triumph over Florida. Tapani has not allowed more than two runs in any start this season. Tapani 3-2 lifetime against the Braves with a 4.50 ERA in six appearances. Chicago improved to 5-0 on its seven-game road trip with Friday's 8-4 win over Atlanta. Gary Gaetti smacked a grand slam and Henry Rodriguez and ex-Brave Jeff Blauser each clubbed two-run shots. The Cubs look for their first six-game streak away from Wrigley Field since May 22-June 14, 1991. Atlanta counters with Kevin Millwood (3-3, 3.60). Like Tapani, Millwood was outstanding in his last start, giving up one run and four hits over seven innings on Monday with six strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh. He has not surrendered more than two earned runs in hs last four starts. Millwood is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA against the Cubs. Cincinnati (19-19) at San Diego (17-23) 10:05 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Without Tony Gwynn in the lineup tonight, the San Diego Padres try to run their home winning streak against the Cincinnati Reds to nine games. Gwynn was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday night after straining his left calf muscle in the first inning of Friday's 5-4 win over the Reds. The Padres' top hitter among everyday players with a .333 average, Gwynn is 25 hits shy of 3,000 for his career. San Diego, which had lost four of five prior to Friday's victory, has won eight straight at home against Cincinnati since August 13, 1997. Heath Murray (NR) makes his first appearance of the season for San Diego tonight, getting his first major league start since June 12, 1997. His only major league action came in 1997, when he went 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 17 games, including three starts. Murray spent all of last season with Triple-A Las Vegas and went 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA in eight starts there before being called up on Tuesday. Pete Harnisch (3-4, 3.69 ERA) goes to the hill for Cincinnati. After going winless in three starts, Harnisch was brilliant in his last outing as he surrendered two runs and six hits over 8 1/3 innings in a 7-2 win at Colorado. He has given up two earned runs or less in five of his eight starts. Harnisch pitched well in four starts against San Diego last season but the Reds lost every time. He surrendered just eight runs and 17 hits over 27 1/3 innings in those outings, but still fell to 5-5 lifetime against the Padres. The Reds had a season-high five-game winning streak snapped on Friday. St Louis (22-18) at Los Angeles (21-20) 10:10 pm EDT ---------------------------------------------------------------- LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The red-hot St. Louis Cardinals attempt to make it consecutive wins over the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight when the teams battle in the middle game of a three-game series. Ray Lankford homered twice in a game against the Dodgers for the second time in less than a week, leading the Cardinals to a 10-6 victory on Friday. St. Louis has won five of seven meetings from the Dodgers this season. St. Louis has won five of its last six games after enduring a three-game losing streak. With their 22-18 record, the Cardinals have a winning record for the first time after 40 games since they had the same record in the 1994-95 season. Taking advantage of Los Angeles catcher Todd Hundley's reconstructed right elbow behind the plate, the Cardinals stole seven bases in eight chances on Friday. Hundley has thrown out just 5-of-42 (11 percent) runners attempting to steal this season. Clint Sodowsky (0-0, 9.00 ERA) makes the jump from the bullpen to the starting rotation for St. Louis. In two relief outings with the Cardinals earlier this month, Sodowsky was tagged for three runs and six hits in just three innings. He has spent much of the season with Triple-A Memphis, going 1-1 with a 3.04 ERA in five games, including three starts. The slumping Dodgers have dropped five of their last six games and would fall back to the .500 mark with a loss tonight. Darren Dreifort (4-2, 4.61) moves back into a starting role for the Dodgers. After starting his first seven outings, Dreifort came out of the bullpen on Tuesday against Houston and allowed only one hit over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He has gone past the sixth inning just twice in seven starts.  