NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Expos’ Hill Builds Case by Beating Maddux

Ken Hill wants to be considered among the best. Now the Montreal pitcher has the record to prove it.

Hill outpitched Greg Maddux to became the National League’s first 11-game winner Monday night at Montreal as the Expos beat Atlanta, 7-2, to close on the Braves in the National League East.

“I want to be up there with the best,” said Hill (11-3), who worked 7 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and six walks and struck out three. “I’ve worked hard to get there, and I don’t want to sell myself short. I want to be the best.”

Hill, who lasted past the sixth inning for the first time in six outings, was locked in a 1-1 game with Maddux until the Expos scored four runs in the seventh. Wil Cordero hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, and Cliff Floyd broke the game open with a three-run homer.

Montreal, in second place virtually every day since April 26, moved within 1 1/2 games of Atlanta for the first time since May 29.

Maddux, the two-time Cy Young Award winner, allowed more than two runs for only the fifth time in his last 33 starts. He allowed five runs on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings.

The Expos’ Larry Walker, sitting out his last game of a four-game suspension, refused to take part in pregame workouts because the Expos docked him four days of salary, roughly $100,000.

“Why should I take BP if I’m not getting paid?” he said.

General Manager Kevin Malone acknowledged Walker intended to defend his teammates by charging Pittsburgh’s Blas Minor on June 14, “but Larry actually let the team down.”

Walker, a right fielder who has a small rotator cuff tear, is expected to start at first base today.

Houston 7, Cincinnati 6--Craig Biggio singled home the winning run in the 11th inning at Houston to give the Astros a victory in a matchup of the top two teams in the National League Central.

Luis Gonzalez had three hits and two RBIs and Jeff Bagwell hit his 24th home run for Houston, which led, 6-2, into the ninth inning before Eddie Taubensee and Hal Morris hit two-run homers off John Hudek, who had not allowed a homer all season.

Colorado 12, San Diego 7--Dante Bichette hit two long home runs, including a grand slam in the eighth inning at Denver, and the Rockies had 17 hits in all.

Bichette tied a club record with five RBIs, and Vinny Castilla and Eric Young also homered for the Rockies. Castilla, subbing for the injured Charlie Hayes at third base, had four hits--also tying a club record--and three runs batted in.

San Diego, losing consecutive games for the first time since June 15, left 15 runners on base.

David Nied (7-4) improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Padres. He allowed eight hits and four runs in five innings.

St. Louis 9, New York 8--A ninth-inning error by shortstop Jose Vizcaino allowed the winning run to score as the Cardinals, after blowing a six-run lead in the seventh inning, rallied to win at New York.

The Mets, who scored seven runs with two outs in the seventh to take the lead, lost their fourth consecutive game and dropped nine games under .500. The Cardinals moved a game over .500 for the first time in 11 days.

Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1--Sammy Sosa’s shallow sacrifice fly brought home the winning run in the eighth inning at Chicago and helped the Cubs snap the Pirates’ six-game winning streak.

Sosa’s pop fly was caught in short center by second baseman Carlos Garcia, whose momentum carried him well into the outfield, and Kevin Roberson barely beat the throw, which eluded catcher Lance Parrish.

Cub starter Willie Banks (8-6) retired 20 consecutive hitters at one point and got the victory. Randy Myers got the final three outs for his 16th save--the 200th of his career.

Jeff Ballard (1-1) took the loss, allowing Roberson’s leadoff double in the eighth inning. Roberson moved to third on Shawon Dunston’s sacrifice bunt before scoring on Sosa’s pop fly.

Philadelphia 5, Florida 1--Shawn Boskie scattered six hits in his first complete game in four years, and Jim Eisenreich hit a two-run triple for the Phillies at Philadelphia.

Boskie (4-4) last pitched a complete game on May 20, 1990, when he was with the Chicago Cubs.