National League Roundup : Bream Drives In Five in 16-5 Rout

The Dodgers have battled injuries and other problems while flirting with the cellar most of the season, but it has been a good year for many of their castoffs.

The other night, two of their former pitchers, Rick Rhoden and Sid Fernandez, became 14-game winners.

And Friday night at Pittsburgh, Sid Bream went 5 for 5, including a home run; drove in five runs, and scored four runs to lead the Pirates to a 16-5 rout of the Atlanta Braves.

Bream had a two-run single in the eight-run sixth that broke open a close game, then hit his 14th home run with a man on in the seventh.

The Dodgers had Greg Brock and Franklin Stubbs rated ahead of Bream as first base prospects last year, so the 26-year-old left-handed hitter was expendable. Last September he went to the Pirates as part of the deal that brought Bill Madlock to the Dodgers.

His perfect night raised Bream’s average to .275, considerably ahead of the two young Dodgers. He has 58 runs batted in, which also puts him well ahead of Brock and Stubbs.

Maybe, it’s because the Pirates, knowing they had no chance to win the East, could afford to be more patient, but Bream seems to have progressed more this season than have Brock and Stubbs.

The Pirates expect him to handle first base for the next decade.

R.J. Reynolds also figured in the Madlock trade, and he has hit well all season. Reynolds tripled in two runs and drove in another with a sacrifice fly.

The Braves had won four in a row and 12 of their previous 17 when they arrived for the series with the Pirates. Their manager, Chuck Tanner, fired after last season by the Pirates, proclaimed that the Braves, 10 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the West, were not out of the race.

“We’ve got six of our last nine games with Houston,” he said. “If we’re close, we can make it difficult.”

When the Braves scored four times before starter Larry McWilliams got a batter out in the first, it appeared they were still hot. But the Pirates matched the four runs in the first and went on to blast the Braves for 19 hits.

St. Louis 6, Houston 5--John Tudor continues to have another big season even if most of his teammates aren’t.

The clever left-hander batted and pitched the Cardinals to this victory at St. Louis. Tudor held the leaders of the West to seven hits and one earned run through seven innings. He also singled twice to drive in runs and help the Cardinals build a 6-2 lead.

When the first two Astros singled in the eighth, Todd Worrell replaced Tudor (13-6) and stopped that threat. Although he gave up a pinch three-run home run to Denny Walling in the ninth, Worrell staggered to his 28th save.

The Cardinals took advantage of Nolan Ryan’s wildness. In addition to walking five batters in 5 innings, Ryan made three wild pitches, and his record fell to 8-8.

New York 5, San Francisco 3--Mookie Wilson put the Mets ahead with a two-run single in the fourth inning at Candlestick Park, and they ran their winning streak to five games.

Dwight Gooden (13-4) was in trouble frequently but lasted 8 innings, yielding 10 hits, striking out 7 batters and walking 4. Roger McDowell got the final out for his 15th save and fourth in the current streak. Vida Blue (9-8) took the loss.

The Mets, with a 19-game lead in the National League East, moved 40 games over .500, improving their record to 81-41.

Darryl Strawberry opened the fourth with his 18th homer to tie the score at 1-1.

Philadelphia 4, San Diego 1--The more the Phillies see of rookie Bruce Ruffin, the easier it is to forget Steve Carlton.

The young left-hander pitched a seven-hitter and his fifth complete game in 12 starts to improve his record to 6-3. The only Padre run came with two out in the eighth. He struck out eight and walked only two.

Ed Whitson (1-6) lost his fourth straight. Glenn Wilson drove in two of the runs, while Mike Schmidt singled, doubled and scored twice.

Chicago 3, Cincinnati 2--Jerry Mumphrey hit a bases-loaded triple with two out in the fourth inning at Chicago to provide Jamie Moyer (5-3) with the victory.

Although he yielded eight hits and walked five in 5 innings, Moyer did not give up a run.