National League Roundup : Smith, Reardon Pace Expos, 7-2

The Montreal Expos are doggedly staying in the race in the National League East. Two of the main reasons were in evidence Friday night at Montreal.

Bryn Smith held Pittsburgh to four hits in 7 innings, and Jeff Reardon finished up as the Expos defeated the Pirates, 7-2, to remain five games back of the New York Mets.

Smith, the surprise ace of the Expo staff, improved his record to 13-4 with his fifth consecutive victory, and Reardon picked up his 29th save, tops in the majors.

In a season when Charlie Lea, a 15-game winner last year, has not made a single pitch, and Steve Rogers, the former star, has been released, Smith and Reardon have prevented the Expos’ staff from falling apart.

Smith credits his improvement from last season’s 12-13 record to improved control. He had a string of five consecutive games and 41 innings without issuing a base on balls until Jason Thompson drew a walk in the seventh inning.

“I don’t like to consider myself an ace, I just like to be consistent,” Smith told the Associated Press. “My main concern is that we win.

“I said in spring training we have the best ballclub and the best starting eight. When they score some runs for me, I’ll go as far as I can go.”

The Pirates, whose 33-72 record is the worst in the majors, lost their most effective pitcher, too. Rick Reuschel (8-5) was forced to leave after four innings when he developed a blister.

“We just are going to go out and try to win as many as we can,” Manager Chuck Tanner of the Pirates said. “Everyone keeps looking at the standings to look at how many games we lost. I don’t worry about that. I say, ‘Forget about today, we’ll get them tomorrow.’ I’m trying to improve our performance.”

Tim Raines paced the Expos’ attack with three singles, and he scored twice. Going into the game, Raines was 5 for 34.

New York 6, Chicago 4--Hardly any team has had the poor luck the Cubs have had with their pitching staff. Not one of their regular starters has escaped serious injury this season.

Now, they are losing them two at a time. Dennis Eckersley, scheduled to start this game at New York, couldn’t pitch because of a sore shoulder. Dick Ruthven, his last-minute replacement, was hit on the toe by a line drive off the bat of Keith Hernandez in the first inning and couldn’t make it to the mound for the second.

With Wally Backman going 3 for 4, scoring twice and driving in the winning run, the Mets won their fifth in a row to hold on to first in the East. The riddled Cubs fell 10 games behind.

The Cubs lost despite two home runs by Jody Davis and another by Keith Moreland, and consecutive doubles in the fifth by Bob Dernier and Ryne Sandberg.

St. Louis 5, Philadelphia 4--The Cardinal defense behind Joaquin Andujar was not too sharp in this game at Philadelphia, but the newfound 1-2 punch provided the fiery right-hander with his 18th victory.

Andy Van Slyke and Terry Pendleton, for the second straight game, hit consecutive home runs to end the Phillies’ four-game winning streak. They came in the fourth and the sixth. Darrell Porter also homered to make it three in the game for the Cardinals, who have hit only 55 home runs this season.

In the third inning, center fielder Willie McGee dropped a fly ball, and the Phillies scored three unearned runs.

Andujar, the first 18-game winner in the majors, needed help from Ken Dayley and Jeff Lahti in the eighth, when the Phillies closed within a run.

San Diego 6-2, Houston 4-1--Miguel Dilone and Gene Walter, brought up earlier in the day from the minors, played prominent roles at San Diego as the Padres won both games of a doubleheader.

Dilone had three singles and a walk, stole two bases and drove in the winning run in the sixth inning of the 6-4 opener. Walter pitched three innings of hitless ball to save the victory for Dave Dravecky.

Dilone made his three hits off Nolan Ryan, who lost his seventh in a row. Ryan lasted 5 innings, gave up five runs and nine hits. He walked four and struck out seven.

In the 2-1 second game, Dilone scored the winning run on Steve Garvey’s bunt in the fifth inning. Dilone, signed by the Padres July 27 and called up from their Las Vegas farm club after playing 11 games there, led off the inning with a single, then stole second. After Garry Templeton popped out to shortstop, Dilone advanced to third on a ground-out before scoring on Garvey’s bunt single down the third-base line.

Starter Eric Show (8-7) went 6 innings, giving up five hits and a run, to earn the victory.

Atlanta 6, San Francisco 5--The Braves scored five runs in the eighth inning, breaking a 2-2 tie.

The Giants had only six hits, the first three off Atlanta starter Steve Bedrosian. Reliever Jeff Dedmon (5-1) got the victory and allowed only one hit, a two-run homer by David Green in the bottom of the eighth.

Bruce Sutter came on in the eighth for Atlanta to post his 18th save of the season.