Adam Ulrey's Montreal Expos Diary

August 16, 2002 - Game 121
Expos offense takes it out on Padres 11-6

Pinch-hitter Matt Cepicky gave the Expos the shot in the arm they needed with his first career home run to spark a four-run seventh inning to lead them to an 11-6 win over the Padres.

"It gave us a tremendous lift, woke us up," manager Frank Robinson said about the homer. "It fired the team up, and we responded." Michael Barrett hit his first home run since July 22 for the Expos, who snapped San Diego's three-game winning streak. Montreal remained 8 1/2 games behind NL wild-card leader Los Angeles.

Guerrero, who had a 14-game hitting streak snapped Thursday against the Dodgers, went 3-for-4 with a two-run double in the first inning. He left the game following a single in the seventh. Guerrero took a wide turn around first - as is his custom - and had to dive hard back into the base to beat the infield relay. He has a strained left shoulder.

Masato Yoshii didn't get the win after going five innings giving up nine hits and six runs. Zach Day came on to pitch the nest two innings giving up just one hit and picking up his third win of the season. The Expos bats were cranked up for this game as they had 14 hits to go with their 11 runs. Guerrero had three hits and two RBIs to give him 83 for the year.

Wil Cordero, who just came off the DL, added four hits in five at bats with an RBI. Jose Vidro also had two hits to raise his average to .308. The Expos had not been hitting the ball at all over the last week and this game was just what the doctor ordered. Cepicky, who was just called up from Double A to take the place of Floyd when he was traded, jumped all over Jason Kershner's second pitch to hit his first career major league homer. It also was the Expos seventh pitch-hit homer on the year.

The Expos added three runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Jose Macias, Galarraga's sacrifice fly and an error by right fielder Bubba Trammell. The Padres had put up four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead behind Ramon Vazquez three-run double and Trammell's solo homer, but it didn't last long as the Expos came back with seven runs in the next two innings. The win gave the Expos a 60-61 record.