Drew’s Answer Is Long Homer in Cardinal Win Over Phillies

The only item thrown onto the field Wednesday night at Philadelphia was a baseball J.D. Drew hit 434 feet.

Drew capped a tumultuous stay at Veterans Stadium with a long homer, blocking out the boos and leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

“God’s timing is perfect,” said Drew, playing amid massive police and security presence after having batteries thrown at him in the outfield Tuesday night. “The biggest key to me is to enjoy the game and play as hard as I can.”

He said nothing was thrown at him Wednesday.

“He was booed every place he played since last September,” Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa said of Drew, who refused to sign with the Phillies after being drafted by them two years ago. “He went about his business. This guy’s been terrific. He’s got a chance to be outstanding. He just needs experience.”

Mark McGwire, who leads the majors with 44 homers, sat out because of tightness in his lower back.

Drew popped out in the first, struck out in the third--prompting a raucous ovation--and grounded out in the ninth. He was one for five, but his leadoff homer in the fifth gave Drew the last laugh in the first chapter of what promises to be a long, bitter rivalry.

Responding to cheers from the crowd, a fan tossed Drew’s home-run ball back onto the field. Center fielder Doug Glanville rolled it to the right-field ball boy, who tossed it into the stands. A fan who threw it onto the field a second time was ejected.

A sign in the upper deck read, “Plain and simple, J.D.: We hate you.”

Atlanta 8, Houston 5--Bret Boone and Chipper Jones hit consecutive homers for the second night in a row and Jose Hernandez also homered against Jose Lima as the Braves completed a three-game sweep at Atlanta.

Jeff Bagwell drove in three runs for the Astros, who are 1-6 against the Braves this season.

Greg Maddux (14-6), who has won four consecutive decisions and seven of eight, got away with an off night, giving up five runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Since the 1991 All-Star break, he is 90-2 when backed with five runs or more.

Lima (15-7) dropped to 0-4 against Atlanta in his career, giving up six runs and nine hits in five innings.

Pittsburgh 5, Cincinnati 4--Brian Giles’ two-run double in the ninth against relief ace Scott Williamson capped a Pirate rally at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates were 1-50 when trailing in the ninth when Williamson walked Abraham Nunez and Adrian Brown sacrificed him to second. Pinch-hitter Al Martin walked. Giles, 0 for 3 in the game and six for 36 this month, then lined a double down the right-field line, scoring Martin with the winning run.

Arizona 7, Chicago 5--Matt Williams hit a two-run double in the 11th inning and had four RBIs at Chicago as the Diamondbacks opened a 7 1/2-game lead in the National League West.

The Diamondbacks, who have won five in a row and 17 of 21, improved to 66-49 and topped their win total from 1998, when they were 65-87 in their expansion season. Chicago has lost five in a row and 11 of 14.

Randy Johnson, who struck out 11 in eight innings and left with a 5-3 lead, lost a win when the Cubs tied the game in the ninth on Henry Rodriguez’s RBI double against Matt Mantei and Glenallen Hill’s run-scoring infield single.

Florida 6, San Francisco 5--Mike Lowell singled home the winning run with one out in the 10th inning at Miami as the Marlins overcame a four-run deficit for the third consecutive game against the slumping Giants.

The Marlins, who have won six in a row, completed their second consecutive series sweep.

San Francisco completed a 3-9 trip.

Florida trailed, 5-1, before Lowell, who had a grand slam in Monday’s comeback, hit a three-run pinch-hit homer in the sixth.

New York 12, San Diego 5--Edgardo Alfonzo homered and tied a career high with five RBIs at New York.

Padre outfielder Tony Gwynn left in the fifth inning because of a sore left knee he aggravated sliding into third base. Gwynn, who singled in the first inning for his 3,007th hit to tie Al Kaline for 20th on the all-time list, is listed as day-to-day.

Colorado 8, Milwaukee 5--Edgard Clemente hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs at Milwaukee to help the Rockies end a five-game losing streak.