Cubs’ Bosley Hits Two Homers to Help Cubs Defeat Expos

Thad Bosley doesn’t like his role as a utility player, and says that contributes to performances such as his two-homer day that lifted the Cubs to an 8-7 victory Monday over the Expos at Chicago.

“I made it into the majors when I was 20 years old and I played every day,” said Bosley, 28. “I have never accepted my role as a part-time player and I never will.”

Bosley said he wanted to earn a full-time job by demonstrating “the talent and ability God blessed me with.”

Bosley, who leads the National League with 13 pinch hits, hit a three-run pinch homer in the sixth inning to tie the game and a two-run game-winner in the eighth as the Cubs broke a seven-game losing streak.

It was the first two-homer game of his career and the five runs batted in also were a career high.

“I wasn’t looking for a pitch to drive,” he said of his battle in the eighth with ace Montreal reliever Jeff Reardon, who leads the majors with 29 saves, but who fell to 2-5 on the year. “But he came right down the heart of the plate.”

“Recently, we haven’t been getting any low-run ballgames,” said Chicago Manager Jim Frey. “Our hitters are going to have to pick up the slack.”

Montreal blew leads of 5-0 and 7-6.

“We had a lot of chances to win it,” said Expos’ Manager Buck Rodgers. “Nobody wanted it, but finally they wanted it. It was a Wrigley Field with the wind blowing out kind of ballgame,” he said of the contest, which featured seven homers.

“You can never have enough runs in this ballpark,” Rodgers added.

Chris Speier had singled with one out and was replaced by pinch-runner Larry Bowa before Bosley connected for his fourth home run of the season to win the game.

Reliever Dave Gumpert won his first decision of the season and Lee Smith pitched the ninth for his 24th save.

The Expos, who got two home runs from Tim Wallach and held an early 5-0 margin, had taken a 7-6 lead in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Vance Law. Washington drew a wlak from Gumpert, took second on Scot Thompson’s bunt single, advanced to third on Tim Raines’ forceout and scored on Law’s fly.

Montreal opened the scoring in the third on Raines’ sixth homer of the year, a solo shot off Chicago starter Lary Sorensen. In the fourth, Terry Francona doubled and Wallach followed with a home run.

Raines singled in the fifth and Hubie Brooks hit his 10th homer, making it 5-0.

The Cubs broke through in the fifth against Montreal starter Floyd Youmans. With two outs, Bob Dernier reached on an error and scored on Gary Matthews’ double. Mathews then scored the 1,000th run of his career when Ryne Sandberg followed with his 16th homer that made itt 5-3.

Wallach greeted Cubs reliever Warren Brusstar by driving his first pitch over the wall in left for his 11th homer of the season in the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Speier and Steve Lake singled off reliever Randy St. Claire and Bosley homered.

Twins 4, A’s 3--Home runs by Roy Smalley and Mark Salas supported Bert Blyleven’s four-hitter and led Minnesota to victory over Oakland in the first game of a doubleheader.

Smalley’s 10th home run, with the bases clear, came in the fourth inning. Salas’ fourth homer of the year scored Randy Bush and capped the Twins’ comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

Blyleven, 11-12, went the distance for the 17th time this year, most in the American League. He walked three batters and struck out eight.

Blyleven now has 143 strikeouts, giving him the American League lead in that category as well.

The A’s reached Blyleven for three runs in the third inning.