National League Roundup : Rawley Wins Fifth in Row as Phillies Edge Expos, 2-1

It is not surprising that the leading pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies is a left-hander. It has been that way most of the time for the last 15 years.

The difference is the name. From 1972 to the present, it was the brilliant Steve Carlton. While Carlton is struggling to regain top form, Shane Rawley has become the ace of the staff.

Rawley won his fifth in a row Friday night at Philadelphia when Steve Jeltz singled with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning to give the Phillies a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos.

While Carlton, who has been hammered in recent starts, is 4-7, Rawley, a 13-game winner last year, is 9-4. At 30, Rawley, who broke in with Seattle in 1978, appears to be reaching a peak.

In the last five games, he has gone the distance three times, pitching eight innings in one and seven in the other. In 42 innings, he has given up only 6 runs.

Rawley had to be good, because Floyd Youmans was excellent for the Expos. He struck out 11 batters in eight innings and departed with the score 1-1 as a result of Tim Raines’ homer to open the Expo eighth.

In the Phillies’ ninth, Glenn Wilson, a hot hitter after a slow start, doubled to right field off Tim Burke. After Darren Daulton struck out, Milt Thompson was walked intentionally and Greg Gross was walked un intentionally. Jeltz, batting only .211, hit a ground single between shortstop and third base on an 0-1 pitch.

New York 6, Pittsburgh 5--The Dr. K (Dwight Gooden) that New York fans have cherished, made his first appearance of the season. Gooden struck out 13 batters and gave up only three hits and departed with a 5-3 lead.

But bullpen ace Jesse Orosco played the part of a vulture. Orosco, making his seventh appearance in the last eight games, gave up two runs in the top of the ninth. So, when Darryl Strawberry’s two-out single in the bottom of the inning scored Mookie Wilson from second, Orosco had his third victory instead of Gooden his ninth.

For one of the few times in his career, Gooden had control problems. In the second inning, he gave up two runs on four walks and a wild pitch. He served up a home run to Sid Bream in the third, but that was all for the Pirates until Gooden departed.

San Francisco 3, Houston 1--Chili Davis hit a three-run home run off reliever Dave Smith in the ninth inning at Houston, and Mike Scott lost another tough one.

Scott, who struck out seven to increase his major league lead to 122, took a 1-0 lead into the ninth. But with one out and two on, Manager Hal Lanier summoned bullpen ace Smith. Davis, who has driven in 43 runs, hit a 1-1 pitch deep into the seats in right field.

The victory put the Giants just two games behind the Astros in the West.

St. Louis 1-2, Chicago 0-3--With just 17 home runs in 55 games, the light-hitting Cardinals had hopes of hitting a couple in the doubleheader at windy Wrigley Field.

As luck would have it, the 18-m.p.h. gale was blowing in. Although the Cardinals had 21 innings (11 in the nightcap) in which to hit one, they didn’t.

They won the opener in the 10th when Mike LaValliere tripled and scored on an infield out. The triple was the 21st for the Cardinals this season.

In the nightcap, Thad Bosley singled in the winning run with none out in the 11th.

Atlanta 3, Cincinnati 2--Gerald Perry and Ozzie Virgil hit home runs at Atlanta, and the Braves handed the Reds their fifth loss in a row.