National League Roundup : Like Astros, Deshaies Continues to Emerge, 1-0

If the Houston Astros continue to play the way they have been and win the National League West, they will look back to the emergence of pitcher Jim Deshaies as a key reason.

Early in the season, with Nolan Ryan hampered by a tender elbow and some of the team’s highly regarded young pitchers failing to live up to expectations, the Astros needed help.

The 6-4 left-hander, one of many young prospects traded away by the New York Yankees in their haste to get veterans and produce instant pennants, has provided the answer.

Deshaies improved his record to 8-3 with another outstanding performance Tuesday night at Pittsburgh as the division-leading Astros beat the Pirates, 1-0. In the second inning, Kevin Bass hit his 18th home run of the season for the only run.

It was the seventh victory for Deshaies in his last eight decisions. The Astros can find only one fault with the rookie: In 17 starts, he hasn’t completed a game, although this was the third time he was just one out away.

Deshaies gave up only four hits, but after giving up a hit with two outs in the ninth, he gave way to Dave Smith for the final out and Smith’s 25th save.

Deshaies, who came to the Astros late last season in the deal that sent Joe Niekro to the Yankees, has been a model of consistency.

Because of tendinitis, he was a month late getting started, and he was not too impressive in his first two starts. But beginning with his first victory, when he held the St. Louis Cardinals to three hits in seven innings on May 26, he has given the Astros a solid five or more innings in all but one start.

Though he had been pulled twice this season with one out in the ninth, Deshaies was still surprised when Manager Hal Lanier came to get him in this game.

“I thought he was just coming out to tell me that the last guy was a fastball hitter and not to let him go long ball,” Deshaies said. “I didn’t think he was going to pull me. I don’t agree with his decision, but I have to accept it.”

What made it a little more difficult was that Deshaies’ father was watching him pitch in the majors for the first time, having driven in from Massena, N.Y., for the occasion.

It was a costly victory for the Astros in one respect. Second baseman Bill Doran strained a groin muscle sliding into third base in the third inning and will be out indefinitely.

Philadelphia 6, San Francisco 5--Jeff Stone hit a two-out, two-run pinch homer in the eighth inning at San Francisco to break a 4-4 tie, and the Phillies held on for a victory that dropped the Giants 7 1/2 games behind Houston in the West Division.

Stone fouled off several pitches before connecting on a 3-and-2 pitch from Giant reliever Scott Garrelts (10-9). Steve Jeltz walked before Stone hit for winning pitcher Kent Tekulve (6-1).

Steve Bedrosian pitched the last two innings to get his 16th save, despite allowing a one-out home run in the eighth to Will Clark.

Mike Schmidt, the league’s home run leader, hit No. 27 with a man on base in the third to give Philadelphia a 4-0 lead. The Giants, in losing their third straight game, got a three-run homer by Candy Maldonado in the fourth inning.

Atlanta 7, Chicago 2--The Braves’ Doyle Alexander, after beating the Cubs with his bat as well as his arm at Chicago, termed his hitting lucky. But Manager Chuck Tanner disagreed.

Alexander gave up nine hits but only one earned run and struck out six in improving his record to 3-4 since returning to the National League. He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and his two-out double kept alive a three-run fourth inning that broke the game open. Omar Moreno’s two-run single was all Alexander needed.

“He’s a good hitter--he pitched like a surgeon out there,” Tanner said. “And, I’ll tell you something else: He can run.”

Cincinnati 6, St. Louis 1--Nick Esasky drove in three runs at Cincinnati with a home run and a sacrifice fly and Tom Browning pitched a four-hitter.

Browning, a 20-game winner last season as a rookie, evened his record at 10-10 and ended his four-game losing streak.

With one on in the sixth, Esasky made a loser of Tim Conroy (3-7) when he hit a 420-foot drive over the center-field fence for his eighth home run of the season.

The Cardinals finally stopped Buddy Bell. The Reds’ third baseman, who had hit five home runs in five games and had a 16-game hitting streak, went 0 for 3.

San Diego 7, Montreal 1--Kevin McReynolds drove in a career-high five runs at San Diego with a three-run homer, a single and a sacrifice fly.

Andy Hawkins (9-8) allowed six hits, and the only run off him was unearned.

McReynolds hit his 16th home run in the third inning to give the Padres a 5-0 cushion against Bryn Smith.