Pirates win as Giles helps Wells get back on track
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Montreal Expos aren’t the same team without the small crowds at Olympic Stadium. Brian Giles homered and drove in three runs to help Kip Wells win for the first time in five starts as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Montreal Expos 7-4 Wednesday night.
The Expos are 27-12 in Olympic Stadium, 13-24 on the road.
“It’s like we’re a different team,” manager Frank Robinson said. “We don’t look like the same hitters, we don’t look like the same pitchers. I don’t know what it is. I don’t have the answer for that.”
Starter Javier Vazquez is 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA in home games, 2-3 with a 4.89 ERA on the road after losing to the Pirates.
“I can’t explain that,” Vazquez said. “Tonight I didn’t have much on my fastball and I got hit hard. No excuses.”
Giles hit a two-run homer in the fourth and had an RBI single in a four-run fifth inning that carried the Pirates to their second consecutive win following a six-game losing streak.
Wells (9-4) hadn’t won since he beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 May 29. He had two losses and a pair of no decisions since then.
“I thought I had some decent starts but I didn’t win,” Wells said.
“Tonight I did OK and I won because we got some runs and the defense did a great job. That’s just the way baseball is.”
Montreal tied the score at 3 in the fifth on Jose Vidro’s two-run homer, his eighth.
Pokey Reese opened the Pirates’ fifth with a single off Vazquez (5-4). Wells bunted him to second and Reese scored the go-ahead run on Jason Kendall’s single.
Jack Wilson and Giles singled, Aramis Ramirez walked and Kevin Young’s single drove in the last two runs.
“If Vazquez brings his ‘A’ game, he’s one of the toughest pitchers in baseball,” Giles said. “I think he’d be the first to tell you he didn’t have his best stuff tonight. His breaking stuff was up and I took advantage of two of the balls he left up over the plate.”
Montreal’s first run came on Fernando Tatis’ homer in the second.
Giles’ 16th home run followed Wilson’s single. Rob Mackowiak also homered in the fourth, his 10th.
Wells allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings. Mike Williams pitched the ninth for his 21st save.
Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero stretched his hitting streak to 19 games with an RBI single in the eighth.
It scored Vidro, who opened the inning with a double off Scott Sauerbeck.
The Pirates have won consecutive games for the first time since June 7-9, when they swept a three-game series from Milwaukee.
NOTES: Vazquez had beaten the Pirates with a three-hit complete game in Montreal on June 5. He struck out 10 in the 3-1 win. … The Expos haven’t scored more than three runs in an inning since they had a five-run first at Philadelphia on May 31. … Wells had only allowed one home run in his previous 10 starts, covering 69 1-3 innings. … Kendall celebrated his 28th birthday on a night when the Pirates gave away bobblehead dolls bearing his likeness. The promotion helped draw a crowd of 36,966, second largest of the season at PNC Park. Tuesday’s game drew 17,543.