Quote: "That was very ugly, very disappointing. It's one thing if somebody takes you deep, but it was like playing in 7-year-old ball where my son plays. That's what the kids do. They walk four or five guys and strike out the side."

-- Phillies' Mark Leiter, who walked four and struck out three in ninth inning of win over the Mets.

It's a fact: Trevor Hoffman got his 30th consecutive save, leaving him two shy of Dennis Eckersley's major-league mark for consecutive saves from the start of a season. Hoffman has converted his past 38 opportunities overall, matching Cleveland's Jose Mesa for the third-longest streak since saves were recognized. Rod Beck converted 41 chances in a row for the top mark.

Who's hot: Houston's Sean Berry, who's hitting .409 (9-for-22) since the All-Star break.

Who's not: Houston's Jeff Bagwell, who's hitting .171 (6-for-35) since the break.

On deck: It'll be a battle of 10-game winners when the Cubs' Kevin Tapani (10-6) and Braves' Denny Neagle (10-7) meet in Atlanta.

Pub Date: 7/20/98