National League Roundup : Padres Sweep Expos; 4-Hitter for Hawkins

The San Diego Padres’ pitching staff seems ready to take a run at the first-place Dodgers.

Andy Hawkins (16-4) pitched his third complete game of the season as the Padres completed a sweep of their three-game series against the Expos with a 3-0 win Thursday night at Montreal.

Hawkins pitched a four-hitter, walked two and struck out four.

In the series, Padre starters Dave Dravecky, Eric Show and Hawkins allowed only one earned run.

Padre first baseman Steve Garvey, who drove in two runs with a third-inning double Thursday night, said: “We have to stay in striking distance of the Dodgers.”

With the win, the Padres gained a game on the Dodgers and are seven behind in the West.

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Expos and dropped them seven games behind the first-place New York Mets in the Eastern Division.

San Diego Manager Dick Williams wasn’t quite sure, but he thought he saw something familiar about the three-game set.

“That’s probably the best series we’ve played in a while,” he said. “I guess that’s the way we played when we were in first place. But it’s been so long since we were in first place, I can’t remember.”

The Padres scored two unearned runs off loser Floyd Youmans (1-1) in the third inning. Tony Gwynn was safe on a two-out throwing error by Montreal shortstop Hubie Brooks, Graig Nettles walked and Garvey drove both runners home when he doubled off the right-field fence.

In the eighth, Nettles walked and Garvey singled. Youmans threw a wild pitch, moving the runners to second and third, and Terry Kennedy followed with an RBI single.

New York 7, San Francisco 0--Terry Leach, a last-minute replacement for scheduled starter Sid Fernandez, pitched a three-hitter at New York, and Darryl Strawberry knocked in four runs with a homer and a single as the Mets retained their half-game lead in the East. Wally Backman went 3 for 3 and scored two runs.

Vida Blue (5-6) took the loss, although he struck out 10 in 6 innings.

Leach (2-1) learned only 20 minutes before the game that he would replace Fernandez, who was suffering from dizzy spells. Leach responded by striking out three, walking one and allowing only three singles in his second start of the season.

The complete-game shutout was the second of Leach’s career. He pitched a 10-inning one-hitter to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0, on Oct. 1, 1982, and is 3-0 as a starter.

Pittsburgh 5, Cincinnati 1--The Pirates, on their biggest roll of the season, won for the fourth time in their last six games as Rick Rhoden pitched eight scoreless innings and singled home a run at Pittsburgh.

Pete Rose, the Reds’ player-manager, had a single in three at-bats and is 13 hits short of breaking Ty Cobb’s career hit record of 4,191.

Rhoden (8-13) gave up six hits, walked three and struck out six before leaving the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth. Reliever Rod Scurry gave up a sacrifice fly to Tony Perez but got the last three outs for his second save.

Chicago 3, Atlanta 2--The league’s leading pinch-hitter, Thad Bosley, hit a home run deep over the right-center-field fence to lead off the ninth inning at Atlanta with the game tied, 2-2, enabling the Cubs to sweep the three-game series with the Braves.

Bosley, batting for winning reliever Ron Meridith (2-0), hit the homer, his fifth of the season, off Brave reliever Rick Camp (2-6).

Bosley leads the league with 16 pinch hits.

Lee Smith pitched the ninth inning for his 27th save.

Ron Cey hit his 16th homer, a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

St. Louis 2, Houston 1--The Cardinals remained a half-game back of the Mets as they rallied for both of their runs in the top of the ninth at the Astrodome.

Pinch-hitter Brian Harper singled in one run, and Astro reliever Bill Dawley walked Ozzie Smith with the bases loaded to force in another during the ninth-inning rally.

Houston starter Joe Niekro entered the ninth with a four-hitter, having retired 13 straight batters, before the Cardinals rallied.

Rickey Horton (2-2) won in relief, and Ken Dayley pitched the ninth for his 10th save.