Homers Lift Expos By Padres

Chris Widger didn't have to wait long to make amends for a costly throwing error.

Widger and Shane Andrews hit consecutive home runs in the eighth inning Sunday, lifting the Montreal Expos over the San Diego Padres 4-2.

With one out, Widger connected against reliever Carlos Reyes (3-2) for his 13th homer.

"I needed it after I cost Javy (Expos starter Javier Vazquez) his win with that throw into center field," Widger said. "I needed to go out and do something so it's good to do it late in the game. You can't take you defense out there when you're going out to hit and you can't take your offense back behind the plate, either."

Andrews followed with his seventh on a 3-0 pitch, a shot that cleared the stands behind the outfield wall down the left-field line.

"I hit that ball pretty good," Andrews said. "I just thank (Expos manager) Felipe (Alou) for giving me the green light on 3-0."

Montreal has won nine of its last 13 games, including seven of nine. The Expos have won their last two after losing 12-10 Friday night in the first game of a four-game series.

"We have a chance to win another series tomorrow," Widger said. "We don't want to get a split. We'd like to win the game and it would be nice to take three of four."

The Padres lost for the 13th time in their last 16 games after going on a 24-7 run that drew them to within two games of the NL West lead.

A href="http://www.sportsline.com/u/baseball/mlb/players/player_10702.htm">Steve Kline (5-3) got three outs in the eighth for the win and Ugueth Urbina pitched the ninth for his 25th save.

The Padres squandered a scoring chance in the top of the eighth when Kline caught Damian Jackson breaking early for third and threw him out for the second out of the inning.

"They put the spin move on and (Kline) did a pretty good job on it," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "We live and die by the stolen base, but that's our game. We're not a team that relies on the long ball. We've got to create things and they caught him that time."

Vladimir Guerrero doubled with one out in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. Guerrero is hitting .404 since the streak began on July 27, going 19-for-47 with seven doubles, two homers and six RBIs.

Trailing 2-0, San Diego scored twice in the sixth to tie it. Phil Nevin hit a leadoff double against Javier Vazquez and Ruben Rivera singled with one out.

Rivera then stole second and Nevin came home to score as Widger's throw sailed into center field, which allowed Rivera to advance to third. Ben Davis followed with a sacrifice fly.

Widger and Orlando Cabrera singled in the second. With two outs, Vazquez hit an RBI single, and Cabrera scored on the play when Rivera's throw got past Davis.
Cabrera left the game with a sprained left ankle after tripping over first base while running out a grounder in the fourth. Cabrera, who stayed down on the ground grimacing in pain after falling over the base, couldn't put any weight on his left leg and had to be helped off the field.

Brian Boehringer allowed two runs one earned on 10 hits in six innings to remain winless in his last four starts.

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