National League Roundup : Astros in Fast Start as Garner (Surprise) Supplies the Power

For nearly a dozen seasons, Phil Garner has been just a good ballplayer. He can do a job at second or third and is a mostly dependable hitter, who occasionally hits a long ball.

His biggest claim to fame is that he was a hitting star for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 championship series and went on to tie a World Series batting record, hitting .500.

Suddenly, Garner, who will be 37 on the last day of the month, has become a power hitter and is a key reason why the Houston Astros are off to a fast start.

Garner hit his fourth home run in 26 at bats this season and Alan Ashby also homered to lead the Astros to a 6-4 victory over the Reds Sunday at Cincinnati. It was the fifth win in a row for the Astros, usually a slow-starting team and they lead the Western Division with an 8-3 record.

The plan this season, under new Manager Hal Lanier, was for Garner to platoon at third base with Dennis Walling. But when Garner went 2 for 2 and drove in four runs in a loss last Sunday, Lanier played a hunch and started Garner in the next game.

It was some hunch. Garner, who hit only six home runs in nearly 500 plate appearances last season, has been hot ever since. He hit two home runs Tuesday and drove in four runs to get the Astros’ streak under way. In the last six games he is 12 for 22 (.545), has scored 8 runs and driven in 12.

“I’m just trying to help us get off to a fast start,” said Garner, who is in his sixth season with the Astros. “We have had some slow starts that forced us to play catch up all season.

“With a new manager, we seem to have a new attitude. We also have been getting outstanding relief pitching, especially middle relief.”

After Jim Deshaies gave up three runs in 2 innings, the bullpen took over and held the Reds to one run and four hits the rest of the way. Mike Madden went three innings to get the win and Charlie Kerfield got the last out and the save.

The Astros, for years known as singles hitters, have hit 13 home runs in 11 games.

“That’s amazing but what I like best is the attitude,” Lanier said. “The players are enjoying themselves and gaining confidence. From what I’ve been told it is a complete change from last year. I want them to be aggressive.”

New York 8, Philadelphia 0--For most of his short career with the Mets, Sid Fernandez has been in “agony” games. Those are games in which he battles his control and battles to hold a slim lead.

But this game was a welcome change-of-pace for the rotund, hard-throwing former Dodger. Danny Heep hit a three-run home run to key a four-run first inning and Fernandez, using a newly discovered change-up, breezed to victory.

He pitched a two-hitter through eight innings, striking out six and walking only three. He also went 2 for 3, stole a base and scored a run.

“Sid’s come a long way since ‘84--he’s a much more mature pitcher now,” Manager Dave Johnson said. “He used the change-up about six times today and it was outstanding.”

Gary Redus opened the game with a single and the only other hit was a single by Mike Schmidt in the fifth.

San Francisco 4, San Diego 0--Vida Blue, pitching one of his best games in a long time, became the 85th major league pitcher to win 200 games in this one at San Francisco.

In helping the Giants complete a sweep of the four-game series, Blue, who left because of a hamstring injury, gave up five hits in five innings for his first win after two defeats. Jeff Robinson pitched four hitless innings to earn the save.

Blue also started the winning rally with a walk in the third. Chili Davis, with one of the three hits the Giants collected, ended the four-run outburst with a two-run home run. Dave Dravecky’s throwing error on a bunt made all four runs unearned. Dravecky had beaten the Giants five times in a row.

Montreal 2, St. Louis 0--After playing for 17 innings and more than five hours Saturday, the Cardinals and Expos appeared to be too tired to run the bases in this game at Montreal.

But, with two on and two out in the eighth inning, Tim Wallach lined a double off the third base bag to drive in the run that broke a scoreless tie and make a loser of Ricky Horton.

Jay Tibbs, who yielded eight hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five to pick up his second victory.

The Cardinals’ best chance to score was in the first inning. Tommy Herr, on first because of an error, was out at the plate trying to score on Jack Clark’s double.

Chicago 8, Pittsburgh 8 (suspended, darkness)--As usually happens once or twice at Wrigley Field each season, darkness stopped play after 13 innings of this thriller. Because there are no lights at Wrigley, the game will be completed Aug. 11.

Keith Moreland hit a two-run home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

Rick Sutcliffe, making a rare relief appearance, worked out of a bases loaded jam in the 13th. The Cub ace got Bill Almon on a pop and struck out R. J. Reynolds to keep the Cubs from losing it right there.