European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 32 National league the stars and stripes sports wednesday May 25,1994 by the associated press this time Luis Lopez did no to use a Joystick to Clear the bases. Lopez hit a grand slam in the first inning for his first major league Homer As the san Diego padres Defeated the visiting a n Francisco giants 4-0 monday night in 2,248 at bats Over six plus seasons in the minors Lopez had hit 10 homers a but none with the bases loaded. In fact Lopez said he had never hit a grand slam before anywhere. Quot not even in Little league but in Nintendo i hit some a he said. Wally Whitehurst pitched 8la a shutout innings As the padres won their second straight after snapping a 13-game losing Streak on sunday. Bip Roberts led off the san Diego first with a single and Phil Plantico and Derek Bell Drew two out walks from Mark Portugal. Up stepped Lopez making his 93rd plate appearance in the majors. Lopez starting at shortstop for the slumping Ricky Gutierrez hit a change up from Portugal just Over the right Field Fence to Surprise Quot everybody the whole major leagues. A. A a. A Quot i guess i was Lucky a he added. Before Lopez a Homer san Diego batters had been 0 for 10 with the bases loaded and two out. In other games monday marlins 3i expos 2 at Miami Pat Rapp allowed one earned run and Jesus Tavarez made a memorable major league debut for the marlins. Tavarez a 23-year-old right fielder recalled sunday from double a Portland threw out a runner at the plate scored from first on a single and went 2 for 4 with an  a Phillies 11, cardinals 3 at St. Louis Danny Jackson pitched eight innings arid Lenny Dykstra reached base five times As the Phillies climbed out of fast place in the no East. Dykstra had three singles two walks two stolen bases three runs scored and an  8, reds 3 at Denver Dante Bichette a three run Homer in the first inning helped the Rockies end a five game losing Streak. Charlie Hayes had three hits As Colorado got a season High 17 in handing the reds their third straight  6, dodgers 3 at los Angeles Derrick May s three run Homer in the sixth inning snapped a tie As the cubs won to ctr seventh straight. The winning Streak is the longest for the cubs since they won eight straight in july of 1990. With the score tied 3-3, May whose 11th inning Homer sunday gave the cubs a win Over san Francisco lined an 0-1 pitch from Kevin Gross 3-2 just Over the Short Fence in right and barely inside the foul pole. A Jose Guzman 2-2who had an 11,20 Era in his three previous starts allowed four hits and three runs in six innings. May Mark by the associated press one Home run gave Ken Griffey or. A major league record. Two would have Given the Seattle mariners a Chance to win the game in extra innings at Oakland after his 21st Homer broke Mickey mantles record for homers in the first two months of a season Griffey was in position to rally the mariners from a two run deficit with no. 22. But there were two outs in the ninth and Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley was on the Mound. Griffey flied out to end it forcing him american league to Settle for erasing mantles 38-year-old Mark in a 7-5 loss. The Solo shot to left Center Field off Bobby Witt came in the seventh inning monday night. A i still done to consider myself a Home run hitter a Griffey said. A i think about base  but who a going to believe him after he a set such an incredible Pace this season at his current rate Griffey would finish the season with 79 homers and would break Roger Marisa major league record of 61 on aug. 22. In just his sixth season in the majors Griffy already has 153 homers and a fistful of Long Ball records. But like most Young players Griffey Isnit much of a history Buff. He said he did no to even know he was closing in on a Milestone until Reading about it in the newspaper last week. A it said a Griffey has two for the record a i said a what record a i Haven to had a Chance to sit Down and think about  \ a a a a a a a a a a a a a a when he came to the plate in the ninth he Wasny to thinking about a Home run Only How he could continue the mariners comeback. Luis Sojo had reached first on a two out infield single. Griffey looked at two strikes and hit a foul Ball into the left Corner that Ernie Young chased but  catch. Young got an error arid Eckersley got nervous a that was scary a Eckersley said. A i was trying to stay away with Griffey and not get it up i did no to ant to walk him a on the next pitch Griffey flied out to left to end the game giving Eckersley his fourth save and the athletics their first win in seven games. A i hit it off the end a Little bit a Griffey said. \ a a a a a a. Trailing 5-0, Seattle rallied for four runs in the fourth off Bobby Witt. Sojo and Griffey got Back to Back singles before Jay Buhner hit his 10th Homer. One Ken Griffey or. Breaks a Mickey Mantle record in mariners 7-5 loss at Oakland out later Tina Martinez homered for the sixth time. 1 he manners had a Chance to tie it in the sixth putting a runner on third with two outs but Witt struck out Dan Wilson to end the inning. With two outs in Botton of the inning Brent Gates reached on a chopper to the Mound and scored from first when right fielder Buhner bobbled Geronimo Ber roads single for an error. Gates went 4 for 4 with a walk and scored three runs. The a sled 6-4 after Griffey homered with two outs in the seventh and they added an insurance run in the Bottom of the inning when Scott Brosius tripled and scored on Mike Bordicks Fly Ball. Oakland got a Quick Lead when Gates tripled and scored on Berroa a groundnut in the first. In the second Troy Neel and Brosius hit Back to Back homers off Seattle starter Dave Fleming to make it 3-0, Neel hit his seventh Ana Brosius his fourth. Fleming 3-6 did no to make it out of the third inning after Oakland scored twice to build a 5-0 Lead. Gates hit a Lead off double Ruben Sierra a one out rib single and Terry Steinbach a run scoring double. In other games monday Blue jays 6, indians 5 at Toronto Joe Carter the majors rib Leader singled Home Devon White with two outs in the ninth inning for the Blue jays. With one out White doubled off Jose Mesa 3-2. After Domingo Cedeno struck out and Paul Molitor was walked intentionally Carters line drive to right drove in White with the winning run. Carter went 3 for 5 with a Homer and two Bis raising his major league leading total to 54. Darren Hall 1-1 pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league win Carlos Baerga hit a three run Homer in the first inning for the  5, Brewers 3 at Milwaukee Ben Mcdonald won his eighth game and sent Milwaukee to a club record tying 12th straight loss. Milwaukee did succeed in stopping Rafael Palmeiro a 24-game hitting Streak Palmeiro went 0 for 4 with a walk halting the majors Best hitting Streak this season he lined out to the Mound in his final at Bat in the ninth. Mcdonald 8-2 scattered eight hits Over 6% innings in joining Kansas City s Davjd Cone and Bob Tewksbury of St. Louis As the majors Only eight game winners. A Quot Quot Lee Smith pitched the ninth for his major league leading i8th save. Ricky Bones 3-4who entered the game with an Al Best 1.89 Era is win less in his last five starts. By Jim Street Seattle Post intelligencer Oakland Calif. When Ken Griffey or. Says he Isnit a Home run hitter the tendency is to believe him he does no Twink Sigil Tenor carry on that he Isnit being totally honest. And then he goes out and hits another Home run. The mariners Center fielder might not think like a slugger but he a acting like one again. No one in either major league is hitting Home runs at Griffey space this season. When he connected off Oakland a Bobby Witt monday night Griffey became the first player in big league history to Belt 21 homers before june 1, besting Mickey mantles record. Mantle never denied his Long Ball prowess Quot but Griffey remains reluctant to flex his Muscles with his Mouth. A a in a a line drive hitter and i can to explain the Home runs a he said As calmly As watching a hanging Slider move into his Power zone. A a in a just going up there and swinging the bat.�?�. Griffey said the same thing last season when he hit a career High 45 homers including eight in eight consecutive games to tie a major league record. _ All along he has insisted Detroit Scecil fielder and Juan Gonzalez of the Texas rangers Are the real Home run hitters. A look at their bodies compared to mine a he said. Itie secret he said last season was using bats that had been double lacquered and therefore were harder. Few took him seriously. Maybe he a using to pee lacquered bats this season. Griffey s swing Isnit As hard As either fielders or Gonzalez a. And its not even close to Jose Canseco a cuts which seem to make the dust swirl at Home plate. But the numbers refute Griffey a modest stance. A twelve of his 20 Home runs have travelled at least 400 feet including a 462-foot bomb at the kingdom on april 12. A Griffey a homers Are averaging nearly 406 feet and have carried 8,489 feet a More than one and a half Miles. A in his past 151 games Griffey has hit 57 Home runs. A he loves the indoors. Griffey has hit 12 homers at the kingdom and three at the. Sky dome. One of his Road homers came at Fenway Park on May 3, the first of his career in Boston. Now no Park can contain him. Not Many pitchers either. =