National League Roundup : Garber Gets Call; Astros Fall, 4-3

For seven years, Gene Garber was the stopper in the Atlanta bullpen. He even helped the Braves win a division title in 1982.

But when the Braves signed Bruce Sutter as a free agent before the 1985 season, it appeared Garber’s days were numbered.

Fate intervened. While Sutter, considered one of the best relievers of all time, has had nothing but arm problems since joining the Braves, Garber has returned to top form.

At 38, Garber has regained his No. 1 spot in the bullpen and is keeping the Braves alive in the West.

Garber choked off a Houston rally in the ninth inning Sunday at Atlanta as the Braves beat the leaders of the West, 4-3.

Garber got the last two outs to register his 18th save and keep the Braves from falling into the cellar in the West. Cliff Speck, 30, improved his rookie record to 2-0.

Bob Horner broke a seventh-inning tie with a sacrifice fly and prevented the Astros from extending their six-game lead over the San Francisco Giants.

Last season, the Braves used Garber mainly as their mop-up pitcher. He had only one save and was the target of boos almost every time he emerged from the bullpen.

It has been a different story this season. The fans look forward to seeing him.

In addition to the 18 saves, he is 5-3 and has a sparkling 1.94 earned-run average.

“He’s been fantastic,” Manager Chuck Tanner told the Associated Press. “He’s pitched as well as any relief pitcher in the league.”

Garber is enjoying his success, but not the plight of the Braves.

“It’s good to be pitching well, but it would feel a lot better if we were near the top of the division instead of the bottom,” Garber said.

“About the fans, they often don’t understand what’s going on. I don’t know why they got on me the way they did. I certainly didn’t have a great year, but I finished pretty good. And now Tanner has shown faith in me.”

In 1982 when the Braves won the West, Garber had 30 saves, won 8 games and had an ERA of 2.34.

For the Astros, Nolan Ryan struck out five and gave up only four hits in five innings in his second start since coming off the disabled list, and Glenn Davis hit his 25th home run.

St. Louis 2-2, New York 1-9--Randy Niemann, brought back from the minors, did what none of the Mets’ regular starters could do over the weekend. He beat the Cardinals in the second game of the doubleheader at New York.

Niemann gave up five hits and only one earned run in six innings to help the Mets end a four-game losing streak. Another second line player, Danny Heep, homered and drove in three runs.

In the opener, John Tudor (12-6) pitched a solid seven innings and Tommy Herr scored both Cardinal runs as they made it four in a row over the Mets. The Cardinals won the series, 4-2.

Tudor has won six of his last seven decisions and the Cardinals have won 21 of their last 28.

Chicago 2, Montreal 1--Four former Expos came back to Montreal to do in their old friends. Terry Francona, Manny Trillo, Chris Speier and pitcher Scott Sanderson had prominent roles in the victory.

Francona drove in the winning run in the ninth, hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Trillo. In the bottom of the inning he made a diving catch of Tim Raines’ sinking liner for the last out of the game with an Expo racing home from third with the potential tying run.

Speier’s sacrifice sent Trillo, who opened the ninth with a double, to third, in position to score the winning run.

Sanderson didn’t get the victory, but he held the Expos to four hits and a run in seven innings.

San Diego 9, Cincinnati 5--LaMarr Hoyt (7-8) held the Reds hitless until the fourth at Cincinnati and coasted into the sixth inning with an 8-1 lead.

Hoyt never made it through the sixth. He gave up a single to Bo Diaz and served up home runs to Buddy Bell, rookie Barry Larkin and Ron Oester before he was rescued.

Bell’s home run was his fourth in three games, Larkin’s his first in the majors.

Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 1--Bruce Ruffin, continuing to look the part of a successor to Steve Carlton, had to pitch only five innings at Philadelphia to improve his record to 5-3.

Rain halted play shortly after it became a legitimate game.

The Phillies went to work quickly against Rick Reuschel (7-14). Gary Redus hit his first pitch for a home run and Von Hayes, Mike Schmidt and Glenn Wilson all doubled in a four-run first inning.