Expos Slam Braves In 9th

June 13, 1998 / 4:36 AM EDT / CBS/AP

The Montreal Expos are getting pretty good at comebacks. It doesn't hurt to go against a bullpen like Atlanta's.

One night after rallying from five runs down against the New York Yankees, the Expos got a ninth-inning grand slam from Darond Stovall to overcome a three-run deficit against the Atlanta Braves.

"Our young players are coming through," Rondell White said after Montreal's 7-5 victory Friday night. "It was lots of fun coming back. I feel real good about us doing that in one inning two nights in a row."

The Expos scored seven runs in the seventh inning Thursday to beat New York, the AL's best team, by the same score. The Braves, who have the NL's top record, took a 5-2 lead to the ninth, only to have their faltering bullpen blow it.

Greg Maddux worked seven strong innings in his bid to become the majors' first 10-game winner, but it was all wasted in the ninth by Mark Wohlers and Mike Cather.

Wohlers, who allowed seven runs in his last 6 2-3 innings, started the ninth, only to walk Chris Widger on four pitches. One pitch sailed to the backstop and the other three weren't close.

"I was hoping to get him jump-started," manager Bobby Cox said of Wohlers. "We're going to need him."

Wohlers was replaced by Cather (2-2), who hit Mark Gruzielanek with the first pitch and walked Brad Fullmer to load the bases.

Stovall, hitting only .218, followed with an opposite-field drive that cleared the wall in left. Cather slumped over on the mound, his hands on his knees.

"It was a sinker, the same as the first pitch," Stovall said. "I said to myself, `If he comes back with that pitch again, I'm going to drive it."'

Cather said the deciding pitch was a fastball, but it really didn't matter.

"I was just overthrowing, trying to blow everybody away," said Cather, seeking his first save. "It was a great opportunity for me, but I failed."

The Atlanta relievers blew a save for the seventh time in 23 chances. That might make them better than Seattle, but they still loom as a major weakness with a 4.45 ERA.

How desperate is the situation? Cox looked forward to having 43-year-old Dennis Martinez available for relief tonight.

"I don't know what we're going to do right now," Cox said. "I'll talk to Mark and see what we're going to do."

The Expos sent 10 hitters to the plate in the ninth, adding an unearned run on White's RBI single. Ugueth Urbina did what the Atlanta bullpen couldn't retire the side in the ninth for his 16th save.

Maddux, who hasn't lost since April 26, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out eight and didn't allow a fly-ball out until his final inning.

"Obviously, you'd like to be rewarded for the way you pitch," Maddu said. "But that's not why you pitch."

The Braves broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run fourth inning. Andruw Jones had a run-scoring double, Eddie Perez a two-run single and Maddux picked up an RBI with a bad-hop single, one of two hits in the game for the pitcher.

Miguel Batista (2-3) picked up the win. Montreal starter Javier Vazquez allowed six hits and four earned runs in four innings.

Expos third baseman Shane Andrews was ejected in the third inning for arguing a called third strike by umpire Kerwin Danley.

Notes: John Maisto, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, met before the game with Atlanta's Venezuelan contingent Perez, Andres Galarraga and Ozzie Guillen. ... Two Montreal pitchers are on the disabled list. Mike Maddux, Greg's brother, has a strained tendon in his right elbow, while left-hander Trey Moore has tendinitis. ... Maddux was replaced on the roster by right-hander Mike Johnson, who will start tonight against the Braves. ... Perez's wife gave birth to their second child during an off day Thursday. Andres Eduardo Perez weighed in at 9 pounds and, no, he was not named for Galarraga. Still, the child already has been nicknamed "Little Cat." ... John Smoltz reported soreness after a minor-league rehabilitation start Wednesday, but still hopes to rejoin the Atlanta roster next week.