National League Roundup : Slumping Sandberg Lifts Cubs, 3-1

Ryne Sandberg doubled in the tying run and scored the go-ahead run in the third inning at Chicago Tuesday to lead the Cubs and Steve Trout to a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Sandberg also had another double and a single and the three hits raised his average to .192. Last season when the Cubs streaked to the title in the Eastern Division, Sandberg was the catalyst. He had a tremendous season and was named the Most Valuable Player.

He has contributed almost nothing this season, but the Cubs, playing .667 ball, are tied for first place with the New York Mets.

The pitching has been the best in the league. Trout gave up nine hits in 6 innings, but Lee Smith bailed him out, striking out four in 2 innings. Trout is 4-1.

The run batted in was only the third for Sandberg, who drove in 84 last season and scored 114. “I may be about ready to help on offense,” Sandberg said. “At the start of the year I was swinging at bad balls. I’m trying to be more patient.

“Although you wouldn’t know it the way I played the first eight games here, I just love to play at Wrigley Field. I enjoy playing day baseball.”

The Giants, at 7-12 the worst team in the West, had eight hits in the first four innings, but three double plays helped Trout out of jams.

“I got a lot of ground balls,” Trout said. “The infield grass is pretty high----that helps.”

New York 4, Houston 1--Denny Walling hit a two-out home run off Dwight Gooden in the first inning at New York, but that was the Astros’ offense for the night.

Gooden gave up only three more hits and struck out eight to improve his record to 3-1.

Through six innings, though, Joe Niekro outpitched the young right-hander. Niekro, 40, gave up singles to Keith Hernandez and Clint Hurdle to open the seventh. With one out, George Foster lined a single to left. Jose Cruz made a perfect throw home, but catcher Alan Ashby couldn’t hold it. Frank DiPino replaced Niekro, and Danny Heep bounced a single through short and Niekro was a loser.

Hurdle came into the game in the fifth inning as a replacement for catcher Gary Carter. Carter left when his ribs, bruised in Sunday’s marathon with Pittsburgh, began to bother him.

Atlanta 8, Cincinnati 4--Dale Murphy doubled in two runs in a five-run seventh inning at Cincinnati to lead the Braves to victory and tie a record with 29 RBIs in April. The record was set by Ron Cey with the Dodgers in 1977.

A two-run triple by Claudell Washington and a throwing error by second baseman Ron Oester enabled the Braves to take a 3-0 lead in the fifth. But the Reds came back with three in the sixth to tie it.

Manager Pete Rose, who benched himself over the weekend when he went 2 for 13, returned to the lineup and went 2 for 4. He needs 81 hits to break Ty Cobb’s all-time hit record.

Philadelphia 11, Montreal 0--Jerry Koosman pitched from a stretch most of the game at Philadelphia, but the Phils gave him four runs in the first inning and he breezed to a 11-hit shutout.

It was the first time the veteran left-hander beat the Expos since opening day, 1978.

Red-hot Von Hayes had four hits to lead the Phillies’ 16-hit attack, including a double to highlight the first inning rally. In the last 10 games, Hayes is 20 for 41 and has driven in 11 runs.

Koosman, 42, struck out three and walked one in winning for the first time this season.

Pittsburgh 6, San Diego 2--Jason Thompson belted a two-run home run in the first inning off LaMarr Hoyt at Pittsburgh and the Pirates went on to win for only the third time in the last 12 games.

Steve Kemp doubled in two runs in a three-run sixth inning that enabled Rick Rhoden to gain his first victory.

Rhoden needed help from Al Holland, who held the Padres to one hit and no runs in the last four innings. Holland has not given up a run in five appearances since the Pirates obtained him from the Phillies in exchange for another bullpen star, Kent Tekulve.

The Padres scored their runs in the fourth on doubles by Graig Nettles and Kevin McReynolds and a single by Tim Flannery.