Expos 10, Padres 3

MONTREAL – Brad Wilkerson homered and had three RBIs, and Tony Batista hit a two-run homer, leading the Montreal Expos to an 10-3 win over the San Diego Padres.

Scott Downs (2-4) allowed eight hits and three runs in seven innings to help end San Diego’s four-game winning streak. Recalled from Triple-A Edmonton on Thursday, he was making his sixth start of the season.

Jay Payton drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and hit his fifth homer in the seventh for the Padres, who swept a four-game series in New York to start their 10-game road trip.

San Diego began the day two games behind Chicago in the NL wild-card race.

The Expos, who have won four of six, improved to 3-2 on their season-high 13-game homestand.

Wilkerson hit his team-leading 25th homer off Dennis Tankersley (0-4) in the first.

After Batista hit his 23rd homer with one out in the fifth to make it 4-1, Wilkerson added a two-run double off Ricky Stone in the sixth.

Endy Chavez followed with a two-run single, capping a four-run outburst that put Montreal up 8-1.

Terrmel Sledge hit a two-run triple in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Montreal shortstop Maicer Izturis made his major league debut after having his contract purchased from Triple-A Edmonton earlier in the day. Izturis, the younger brother of Los Angeles shortstop Cesar Izturis, singled off Tankersley in his first major league at-bat in the second.

Tankersley left with one out in the sixth after allowing Jamey Carroll’s single and Izturis’ walk.

Stone relieved and allowed five straight hits, including a single to Downs to load the bases just ahead of Wilkerson’s two-run double and Chavez’s two-run single.

Tankersley allowed seven hits and six runs – five earned – in 5 1-3 innings. Stone, who faced seven batters, gave up two runs on five hits and a walk in 2-3 of an inning.

Notes: Padres first baseman Phil Nevin handed Izturis the ball from his first career hit. Izturis gave the ball to first-base coach Jerry Morales, who tossed the ball into the Expos dugout. … Wilkerson has six leadoff homers this season.

AP-ES-08-27-04 2157EDT