National League Roundup : It’s Walling’s World as Astros Win, 6-2

Denny Walling hit a three-run home run and had a run-scoring double Saturday night at Houston to lead the Astros to a 6-2 victory over the fading San Diego Padres.

Rookie Jim Deshaies (7-3) and Charlie Kerfeld combined on a three-hitter as the Astros strengthened their grip on first place in the West. Deshaies, who has done an outstanding job helping take up the slack for the ailing Nolan Ryan, gave up three hits in five innings, and Kerfeld pitched four hitless innings for his fourth save.

Walling, 32, is in his ninth season with the Astros. He has always been a part-time player. The most at-bats he ever had as an Astro were 345 last season.

A left-handed hitter, Walling can play the outfield, first base and even some third base. He still is a reserve, but there are few Astros who have been more valuable.

When it appeared last week that the Astros were in danger of a collapse, it was Walling who hit two home runs to lead a 10-2 walloping of the Dodgers.

The Padres’ Andy Hawkins (8-8) is a favorite opponent of Walling’s. Last month in a game at the Astrodome, Walling had his first four-hit game, and it included two home runs off Hawkins.

Walling wasted no time showing Hawkins who was boss in this one. After Bill Doran walked and Billy Hatcher singled, Walling hit a 2-and-0 pitch to right field for his ninth home run, a career high.

In the second inning, Walling doubled in a run to give the Astros a 5-0 lead and finish Hawkins. This season against Hawkins, Walling is 5 for 8--four home runs and a double--and has driven in 10 runs. Against San Diego pitching this season, Walling is 11 for 29 with 17 RBIs.

“I don’t know what the key is between me and Hawkins,” Walling said. “I seem to see the ball real well when he throws it. Until this season, he was getting me out most of the time.”

Glenn Davis hit his 24th home run, accounting for the Astros’ final run. It tied him with Mike Schmidt of Philadelphia for the league lead.

The Padres, who thought they had a chance to win the West a few weeks ago, have fallen into the cellar and are 10 1/2 games behind the Astros.

San Diego outfielder Tony Gwynn, who finds little solace in the fact that he has a chance to win another batting title, needed just three words to assess his team’s play this season.

“Basically, we stink,” Gwynn said after extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

The Padres’ only run-producing offense in this game came in the fourth inning when Kevin McReynolds walked and Steve Garvey hit his 16th home run.

San Francisco 4, Atlanta 3--Former Dodger Candy Maldonado hit his seventh home run to open the top of the 10th inning at Atlanta, but it took a squeeze bunt by Will Clark later in the inning to score Bob Brenly with the winning run.

Topping off a game that had been delayed by rain for more than two hours in the top of the first inning, the Braves almost pulled it out in the bottom of the 10th. With two out and the bases loaded, the Giants’ Scott Garrelts hit Dale Murphy with a pitch to force in a run. But Bob Horner popped out to end the game as the Giants remained five games behind Houston.

Mike Aldrete hit a home run with one out in the top of the ninth to get the Giants even and send it into extra innings.

New York 10, Montreal 8--There is always an extra incentive for Gary Carter when he plays at Montreal.

“It was kind of special, because I get pumped up playing here,” Carter said after his two-run single in the ninth broke up a tie game and gave the Mets the victory.

After 11 seasons in Montreal, Carter was traded to the Mets before last season. The Expos received Hubie Brooks, Floyd Youmans and catcher Mike Fitzgerald in the deal.

The Expos, who had won five in a row before this game, were breezing behind Jay Tibbs (6-1) when the roof fell in as the Mets scored seven times in the eighth inning. The climax was a three-run home run by Mookie Wilson.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Roger McDowell failed to hold the lead. A triple by Wallace Johnson drove in the Expos’ tying run.

Jeff Reardon walked the bases loaded with one out before Carter drilled his single. It gave Carter 85 RBIs and 13 game-winning hits. He leads the league in both categories.

McDowell (11-6) lucked into the victory that stretched the Mets’ lead in the East to 17 games over the Expos. Jesse Orosco pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to pick up his 16th save this season and the club-record 86th of his career.

Pittsburgh 8, St. Louis 5--After 15 consecutive defeats at Busch Stadium, the Pirates turned on their tormentors.

Johnny Ray banged out three hits, including only his second career home run as a right-handed batter.

Bob Walk (5-6) lasted only five innings, but he was the winner as the Pirates ended the Cardinals’ 12-game home park winning streak.

The Pirates pounded out 14 hits off four Cardinal hurlers. Ray Burris, in relief, was the loser.

Philadelphia 4, Chicago 2--After losing five in a row, the Phillies held a team meeting before this game at Chicago.

The meeting worked wonders, especially for Juan Samuel. The young second baseman went 3 for 5 and drove in two runs to lead the Phillies out of the doldrums.

“If nothing else, a team meeting can clear the air and build up your confidence,” reliever Steve Bedrosian said after pitching two shutout innings for his 14th save. “We needed to get a lot off our chest, and I think the younger guys appreciated it.”