National League Roundup : Lopes’ Homer Helps Eckersley, Cubs Win, 7-3

The Chicago Cubs’ American League connection is keeping them on top once again in the East.

Three of the Cubs’ starting pitchers, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Trout and Dennis Eckersley, came over from the American League and were instrumental in the Cubs winning the division last year.

The Cubs are off to an 11-4 start, and the same trio have nine of the victories.

Eckersley won his third in a row as the Cubs trounced the Phillies, 7-3, Friday night at Philadelphia. The former Boston Red Sox right-hander had shutout victories in his two previous starts, but his string of scoreless innings ended at 21 when the Phillies scored an unearned run in the second. Eckersley gave up nine hits and only two earned runs in pitching his third complete game.

Former Dodger Davey Lopes got the Cubs off to a good start with a three-run home run in the first inning.

Lopes, becoming a valuable utility player for the Cubs, was in right field because Jerry Koosman, a left-hander, started for the Phillies. In addition to his home run, Lopes had two singles and stole two bases. Over the last three seasons Lopes has 31 straight stolen bases.

“I don’t care where I play or bat as long as I can be a positive force and help the club,” the 38-year-old Lopes said. “I’m starting to feel real confident out there.

“I know with (second baseman) Ryne Sandberg and (third baseman) Ron Cey out there I’m not going to play much in the infield, but I’m ready to play anywhere.”

In his last three starts Lopes has gone 8 for 13.

Trout, Sutcliffe and Eckersley all have 3-1 records.

Eckersley, obtained last May by the Cubs, lost five of his first six decisions in the National League. Since that slow start, he is 11-3.

Montreal 10, St. Louis 5--The way Hubie Brooks has been hitting, it’s amazing that teams are walking batters to pitch to him.

Six times this season Brooks has come up after an intentional walk and has responded with four hits and seven runs batted in.

In this game at Montreal, the Cardinals did it twice and the Expos’ shortstop drove in three runs.

“Sometimes it’s just my turn to drive in runs because they’re are guys on ahead of me,” Brooks said. “It makes me bear down a little more when they walk the man ahead of me.”

Brooks drove in four runs Friday. Tim Wallach homered and drove in three runs and Andre Dawson hit a two-run home run as the Expos routed Bob Forsch.

New York 6, Pittsburgh 0--The Mets kept pace, one game behind the Cubs, as Ron Darling gave up five hits and struck out 11 at New York to make his first victory of the season a shutout.

Second baseman Wally Backman led the Mets’ attack, going 5 for 5, driving in three runs and scoring another. Backman singled and scored the first run in the first inning, beat out a squeeze bunt to drive in the second and drove in the third with a single in the fourth. Darryl Strawberry hit his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning.

Houston 3, Atlanta 2--Phil Garner singled with two out in the ninth inning at Houston to drive in Jose Cruz with the winning run.

Kevin Bass opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, but Enos Cabell failed on two bunt attempts and hit into a double play. Jose Cruz singled to right and the ball rolled through the legs of right fielder Albert Hall for an error. After an intentional walk to Jerry Mumphrey, Garner lined his single past shortstop Rafael Ramirez to win the game.

The Braves had rallied for two runs in the eighth with Dale Murphy driving in the tying run.

San Francisco 7, Cincinnati 6--The Giants went into the ninth inning at San Francisco trailing, 6-1, but they came back to win on Dan Gladden’s two-out, three-run homer. Before Gladden homered, Jeff Leonard singled in one run and Brad Wellman singled in two more.