Bagwell Spoils Valdes’ Return

Not many teams call on a left-handed reliever to face Jeff Bagwell. The Houston Astro slugger showed why Thursday.

Bagwell hit a three-run double against Mark Guthrie to spoil Ismael Valdes’ Chicago Cub debut and lift the Astros to a 6-2 victory at Chicago.

The Cubs didn’t have many choices in the fifth inning when Bagwell stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two out.

Right-hander Matt Karchner was optioned to the minors before the game to make room on the roster for Valdes, and another right-hander, Brian Williams, told the coaches that he wasn’t available.

Cub Manager Don Baylor said it was too early in the game to use Kyle Farnsworth.

That left a lot of lefties.

Guthrie got the call and Bagwell hit the first pitch he saw to the base of the left-field wall to drive in three runs and open a 4-1 lead.

Bagwell, who entered the game batting .500 against left-handers and .293 against right-handers, said teams have occasionally thrown southpaws at him before.

“Not many, unless it’s a closer,” Bagwell said. “[Guthrie] has a good forkball and I’ve been known to swing at a few in the dirt. But I was fortunate to get a first-pitch fastball to hit.”

Valdes, acquired with Eric Young from the Dodgers in a December trade, had been sidelined since March 20 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Baylor wanted to limit Valdes (0-1) to 75-80 pitches, but the right-hander threw 93 in 4 2/3 innings. Valdes gave up four runs on four hits and three walks.

Valdes left in the fifth with the score tied at 1-1. He was pulled after Elarton singled and Craig Biggio and Roger Cedeno singled to load the bases.

“I had great, quality pitches,” Valdes said. “Overall, I think it was a great outing for me.

“It’s good to not feel pain.”

St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 0--Jim Edmonds and Mark McGwire homered on consecutive pitches and Ray Lankford also connected at St. Louis to back the pitching of Garrett Stephenson.

Stephenson (4-0) had his best outing by far, giving up three hits in 7 2/3 innings. In his previous four starts, he had given up 19 earned runs in 22 innings. Mike James completed the combined four-hitter.

Edmonds and McGwire hit their 10th homers on consecutive pitches in the sixth.

San Francisco 7, New York 2--Bill Mueller’s bases-loaded triple highlighted a raucous, six-run eighth inning as the Giants completed a four-game sweep at San Francisco.

The big inning also featured a bench-clearing scuffle, though no punches were thrown.

Philadelphia 14, Cincinnati 1--Doug Glanville went five for five and Bobby Abreu hit three doubles as the worst offensive team in the majors broke loose at Philadelphia.

The Phillies, who started the game with a .230 average and a league-low 90 runs, finished with 21 hits, including a National League record-tying four consecutive doubles to start the first inning.

Arizona 6, Milwaukee 2--Erubiel Durazo hit a three-run homer and Jay Bell added a solo shot to back Armando Reynoso (2-3) at Milwaukee.