Guerrero, Expos Top Braves

June 29, 1999 / 8:50 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The Montreal Expos couldn't crack Atlanta's pitching for eight innings. Then came the ninth.

Vladimir Guerrero's three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night capped a five-run rally off John Rocker and gave the Montreal Expos a 6-5 victory over the Braves.

Montreal came back against Rocker (2-3) for just its second victory in seven games. The Braves lost for only the fourth time in their last 14.

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Â"It's a great comeback,Â" Expos starter Dustin Hermanson said. Â"I'm happy for Vlady and happy for the team because everyone contributed to that comeback.Â"

Atlanta starter John Smoltz hit an RBI single before leaving after five innings with stiffness in his right elbow.

Â"This was a situation where my pitching was fine, it was just a precaution,Â" Smoltz said of his early exit. Â"Hopefully it doesn't have a carryover effect before the break.Â"

Rocker entered in the ninth with a 5-1 lead and gave up consecutive doubles to Orlando Cabrera and Mike Mordecai. James Mouton was hit by a pitch and one out later, Jose Vidro singled to load the bases.

Â"(Rocker) didn't have his best stuff,Â" Vidro said. Â"We got the chance and we took advantage of it.Â"

Pinch-hitter Wilton Guerrero hit an RBI grounder, making it 5-3 and leaving runners at first and third.

Vladimir Guerrero then hit a 1-0 pitch deep into the bleachers in left-center for his 15th home run. He also had a sacrifice fly in the first inning.

Â"Those guys went up there hacking at that fastball,Â" Atlanta's Brian Jordan said.

Ugueth Urbina (4-4) pitched a hitless ninth for the victory.

Smoltz threw 67 pitches and allowed one run and three hits. He is 3-1 in six starts since returning from the disabled list on June 1 after suffering an inflamed right elbow.

Smoltz stroked the Braves' third consecutive one-out single in the fifth off Hermanson for his seventh RBI of the season to tie the game at 1. He raised his average to .344 (10-for-32).

Montreal's Rondell White, activated from the disabled list earlir in the day, went 3-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games in his first game since straining his right hamstring on June 13.

Â"It felt good,Â" White said. Â"It was a good win for us. Guerrero came through and hopefully we can get on a roll.Â"

Bret Boone's two-run double in the fifth put the Braves up 3-1. Ozzie Guillen had an RBI single in the seventh and Andruw Jones added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 5-1.

Hermanson, who hasn't won since May 8, allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings.

Notes: The Braves are 7-2 on artificial turf this season. ... Simon started at first base after leaving Monday's game with a bruised right elbow when he was struck by a pitch from Anthony Telford. ... Montreal was 2-10 during White's absence from the lineup. ... White caught Andruw Jones' towering fly in left field after it struck the Olympic Stadium roof for the final out of the sixth.