Expos Slam, Shutout Padres

Though he couldn't quite go the distance, Jeremy Powell was happy enough just to post a win.

Powell allowed six hits in eight innings and Jose Vidro hit his first career grand slam Monday night to lead the Montreal Expos to an 8-0 win over the San Diego Padres.

"I threw a lot of pitches early in the game," said Powell, whose only other major league win came Aug. 6, 1998, against Los Angeles. "If I had kept my pitches down early I might have been able to go nine, but I was just happy to finish strong and get the win."

Montreal's Geoff Blum hit a two-run double in his major league debut and Brad Fullmer homered, doubled and drove in two runs.

The Expos won the final three games of the four-game series to win their fourth straight series. Montreal has won eight of 10 overall.

"One guy got his first hit and first RBI, the other guy won his first game," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "I was pulling for the (complete game) shutout but he threw a lot of pitches, especially early. He'll have his time to do it one day with less pitches."

Guillermo Mota loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Anthony Telford got Tony Gwynn to hit into a double play to end the Expos' third shutout of the season.

With the bases loaded and the Expos leading 3-0 ithe sixth, Vidro drove the first pitch he saw from reliever Carlos Almanzar into the right-field stands for Montreal's first grand slam since last Aug. 27.

San Diego has lost 15 of their last 18 games. The Padres' swoon follows a 24-7 run that drew them to within two games of the NL West lead.

"I don't have an answer right now for what's going on with our offense," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "What more can be said than what's been said here for the last couple of weeks? Every day you come out and hope you're going to come out of it. You hope it's sooner than later, too."

San Diego's Dave Magadan went 3-for-3 with a walk.

Vladimir Guerrero doubled off Matt Clement (5-11) leading off the fourth to extend his career-high hitting streak to 13 games. Fullmer, who hit a solo homer in the seventh to make it 8-0, followed with an RBI double.

Rondell White walked and Chris Widger struck out before Blum, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Ottawa before the game, hit a liner that rolled to the wall in right-center to cap the Expos' three-run rally.

Clement allowed five runs and six hits in five-plus innings. He is 0-4 in his last seven outings after winning four straight starts.

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