National League Roundup : Reds Only Four Back After Fifth Straight Win

The Cincinnati Reds, much like the weather, are heating up.

It was 109 degrees in the dugout Saturday at Cincinnati and even hotter on the AstroTurf as Dave Parker hit a two-run home run, and the streaking Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2, for their fifth win in a row and their 13th in the last 16 games. The Reds (43-44) are just four games out of first place in the National League West.

Parker, who hit a three-run homer Friday night and then saved the game with a fine throw in the ninth inning, hit his 18th homer Saturday to climax a three-run third that gave Bill Gullickson a 4-0 lead. Gullickson (7-6) pitched a strong seven innings.

Mike Schmidt hit his 21st home run, a two-run smash in the fourth, for the only damage against Gullickson.

Phillie starter Shane Rawley (11-6) admitted that the heat got to him in the third inning. “Running the last (ground) ball out the inning before and then having to go right out and pitch, left me with a complete lack of concentration. If I could have just had a short rest, I would not have had the bad inning.”

The way the Reds are playing, it might not have made any difference. The Reds, who had been expected to battle the Dodgers for the division title, were 6-19 and 10 games behind after the first month of the season. As recently as June 28, Cincinnati was in last place, 9 1/2 games behind.

“Everybody can watch the standings and see this team going up,” Cincinnati Manager Pete Rose said. “I think the guys have finally realized we are within striking distance. But we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Gullickson, who said the heat didn’t bother him, needed a spectacular play by center fielder Eric Davis with two out in the seventh to save at least one run. Davis made a backhanded, diving catch of Greg Gross’ sinking liner.

“The last 25 feet or so, he was flying,” Rose said. “I don’t think there are too many guys around who could have made that catch.”

Pittsburgh 4, San Diego 3--It was the kind of situation that Rich Gossage has thrived on. After Marvell Wynne hit a solo home run and Steve Garvey hit a two-run shot in the top of the ninth for a 3-2 Padre lead at Pittsburgh, reliever Craig Lefferts ran into trouble, giving up consecutive hits with one out in the bottom of the inning.

Enter Gossage, who had a 4.40 ERA and who had not worked since giving up a three-run home run to Sid Bream July 7.

The big right-hander got R.J. Reynolds on a fly ball, but Tony Pena singled up the middle to tie the game, and Jim Morrison singled to center to win it. It was only the second time in 44 opportunities that the Pirates had come from behind in the ninth to win.

Lefferts got the loss. He had given up only one run in his last 23 innings before Saturday but was charged with both runs in the ninth.

Until Wynne homered in the ninth, Bob Walk shut out the Padres on three hits. Garvey, who had no homers in more than a month, hit his off Cecilio Guante.

Chicago 11, San Francisco 6--The Giants must have thought that the wind blowing out at Chicago was an ill-wind.

After San Francisco built a 5-1 lead, chasing Steve Trout in the third inning, the Cubs turned the game around with the long ball.

Shawon Dunston and Gary Matthews hit three-run home runs, and Dave Martinez and Ryne Sandberg hit solo shots as the Cubs beat Mike Krukow (11-6). It was the first major league home run for Martinez and the fifth home run in the last 12 games for Matthews.

Houston 5, New York 4--Even Dwight Gooden is getting upset with his pitching these days. After being shelled before he could retire a batter in the sixth inning at Houston, the 21-year-old right-hander took a swing at a water cooler.

When the Mets chased Mike Scott with a four-run ninth, which included home runs by Len Dykstra and Darryl Strawberry, Gooden was off the hook. But Roger McDowell gave up a home run to Craig Reynolds in the 10th to the delight of a sellout crowd of 44,502 at the Astrodome. Reynolds’ fourth homer put the Astros into a tie for first place in the West with San Francisco.

Gooden, who got the loss in the All-Star game, gave up nine hits and four runs. In his previous start, July 9 against Cincinnati, he gave up seven hits and five runs in four innings.

Atlanta 7, Montreal 2--Andres Thomas hit a three-run homer to highlight a four-run sixth-inning rally at Montreal that enabled the Braves to end a six-game losing streak.

David Palmer (6-8) went 5 innings for the win, and Gene Garber got his 11th save.