National League Roundup : Padres’ Goose Cooked by Chambliss’ Homer

The San Diego Padres couldn’t ask for a better situation.

There were two out in the ninth inning Wednesday night at Atlanta, the Padres led, 7-5, and reliever Rich (Goose) Gossage was on the mound.

The last chance batter was Chris Chambliss. Chambliss, who homered in his first at-bat this season, had been up 84 times without homering again.

So much for statistics. Chambliss uncranked his second home run over the center-field fence to give the Braves an 8-7 victory and drop the Padres into a tie with Atlanta for last place.

Although he had not been hitting home runs, Chambliss, a 37-year-old first baseman, has been hitting for average since getting a chance to play in place of Bob Horner, whose brother died Monday. The home run was Chambliss’ third hit of the game and raised his average to .337.

Gossage replaced Craig Lefferts with the Padres leading, 7-4, going into the bottom of the ninth. Omar Moreno, who was 5 for 5, including a home run, doubled with one out, and Ken Oberkfell walked. After Dale Murphy struck out for the second out, Ken Griffey singled home Moreno. It didn’t seem to be cause for alarm, but Chambliss belted an 0-and-1 pitch for the game-winner.

Although he gave up a run in the ninth, Gene Garber (5-3) was the winner.

Cincinnati 8, San Francisco 6-- Kurt Stillwell singled in two runs in the eighth inning at Cincinnati to climax a rally that wiped out a 5-0 deficit and carried the Reds to a victory over the Giants.

The bases-loaded hit by the light-hitting shortstop spoiled another solid performance by former Dodger Candy Maldonado. Maldonado hit a grand slam in the third inning as the Giants took the 5-0 lead and, after the Reds caught up, hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to put the Giants in front again.

But Scott Garrelts, brilliant in relief lately, failed to do the job. He came in after Bo Diaz opened the bottom of the eighth with a single. With one out, Nick Esasky singled. Then Garrelts walked two batters in a row to tie the score and fill the bases for Pete Rose.

Mark Davis, replacing Garrelts, got the Reds’ manager to hit into a force out at home. That left it up to the switch-hitting Stillwell, who went into the game hitting .197 but had already had two hits. Stillwell lashed the ball into left, two runs scored, and the Reds ended a three-game losing streak.

Stillwell has been a disappointment for the Reds, who even brought shortstop Bruce Larkins up from Denver of the Coast League. After this game, though, the chances are Stillwell will get another chance.

Meanwhile, the Reds’ Tony Perez, who said Tuesday that reports of his imminent retirement were exaggerated, announced before Wednesday’s game that this will definitely be his last season.

Philadelphia 8, New York 4--Mike Schmidt keeps talking about all his aches and pains, but he keeps hitting home runs and driving in runs.

In this game at Philadelphia, Schmidt hit his league-leading 25th home run and drove in two runs to lead the Phillies to their second win in a row over the Mets.

Rookie Bruce Ruffin, given a four-run cushion in the first inning, held the Mets to six hits in eight innings to improve his record to 4-3.

St. Louis 6, Montreal 2--When Danny Cox broke his ankle in training camp it was the start of a terrible spring for the Cardinals. Now that the pennant race is over in the East, Cox is pitching the way he did last season, when he was 18-9.

The 26-year-old right-hander pitched a seven-hitter and squeezed in the winning run at Montreal. It was the fourth win in the last five starts for Cox (7-9), and the 18th win in the last 26 games for the Cardinals.

Rookie outfielder Johnny Morris drove in two runs for the Cardinals with a single and a sacrifice fly as they moved within two games of the second-place Expos.

Chicago 9, Pittsburgh 8--Shawon Dunston hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning at windy Wrigley Field to lift the Cubs to victory.

Dunston hit a wind-aided drive into the left-field seats for his 13th home run. It is the most for a Cub shortstop since Ernie Banks hit 29 homers 25 years ago.

Lee Smith pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save.