National League Roundup : Resurgent Murphy Triggers Win Over Giants

Dale Murphy, finally in a groove, hit a two-run home run in the first inning Friday night at Atlanta to get the Braves on their way to a 7-6 victory, their fifth in a row, over the San Francisco Giants.

Murphy also doubled in a run in a five-run second inning. Although he was given a 7-0 lead, Doyle Alexander barely managed to win his second game in six decisions since returning to the National League.

In fact, the battling Giants had the potential tying run on base in the ninth when Gene Garber induced Chili Davis to fly out to left field to end the game.

Murphy, coming off four outstanding years, went into this season generally considered the best player in the majors. But in the first four months, he was ineffective, hitting for neither average nor distance.

The big center fielder averaged more than 36 home runs and 110 runs batted in in his previous four seasons, while batting .295. After 103 games this season he was batting .260, had 15 home runs and 40 RBIs.

The start of August marked the resurgence of Murphy. In seven games this month, he is 14 for 26, three of them home runs. He has driven in eight runs and scored six.

Murphy may have been jolted out of the doldrums last Sunday when the San Francisco Giants gave an intentional walk to Ken Oberkfell in a clutch situation to get to him. Murphy came through with a run-scoring single on that occasion and has been a tough out ever since.

“It has been a long time since I felt this comfortable at the plate,” Murphy said. “I only hope it means I can contribute the rest of the season.”

Houston 5, San Diego 0--Mike Scott continues to prove it was no fluke that he won 18 games for the Astros last season.

Scott pitched a six-hitter and struck out nine at Houston to improve his record to 12-7 and increase his major league-leading strikeout total to 217. Scott has posted 43 strikeouts in his last 32 innings.

“I got ahead on the count with most hitters,” Scott said. “And when I do that, I can throw the split-fingered fastball as fast as I can.”

Jose Cruz drove in two runs in a four-run sixth that broke up a scoreless battle between Scott and Lance McCullers. Cruz has driven in 1,001 runs in his career.

The Astros increased their lead over San Francisco in the West to five games. Maybe more important, they are now seven games ahead of the Dodgers.

Montreal 5, New York 3--Almost everybody conceded the East to the Mets long ago, but the stubborn Expos aren’t ready to give up.

In this game at Montreal, Tim Raines drove in two runs with a pair of singles, Bryn Smith won for the first time in nearly a month, and the Expos, 16 games behind, won their fifth in a row.

The Expos jumped on Bob Ojeda (12-3) for three runs in the first and another in the second. Smith (8-6) gave up seven hits in 6 innings before he needed relief. Jeff Reardon retired three batters in a row in the ninth to gain his 26th save.

“Maybe, we’re only in the fight for second place, “ Manager Bob Rodgers said, “but who knows what might happen if we keep winning.”

Chicago 2, Philadelphia 1--Hard-throwing Lee Smith pitched a scoreless ninth at Chicago to set a Cub record for saves. Smith has 21 saves this season and 134 in his career. Bruce Sutter had 133 for the Cubs.

“I would trade those saves for a chance to pitch in the World Series,” Smith said. “But it’s nice to be compared with someone like Sutter.”

It won’t be this season that Smith pitches in the World Series. With 55 games left, the Cubs trail the Mets by 25 games in the East.

St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 1--There’s no place like home for the Cardinals. With Danny Cox holding the Pirates to two hits and an unearned run through eight innings, they won their 11th in a row at Busch Stadium. They have beaten the Pirates 15 times in a row there.

Cox gave up his third hit to Barry Bonds to start the ninth, and Rick Horton came in to get the last three outs.

The Cardinals didn’t exactly make good use of their hits. They had 15, including four by Terry Pendleton, but all were singles except Clint Hurdle’s double.

Vince Coleman singled, stole second and scored on Curt Ford’s single to put the Cardinals ahead to stay in the first inning. It was Coleman’s 78th steal and his seventh in the last five games.