National League Roundup : Davis and Gullickson Lead Reds to 8-0 Victory Over Astros

It was an unnerving experience for Houston Manager Hal Lanier Saturday at Cincinnati.

At least three things happened that were downright scary.

First, there was Nolan Ryan hobbling. Then, there was Eric Davis batting. And finally, there was Bill Gullickson pitching.

The result: The Reds handed the Astros another defeat, 8-0, to give fast-starting Cincinnati an 8-2 record.

The 40-year-old Ryan injured a hamstring and departed with two out in the fifth inning. At that point, he had struck out six but was trailing, 1-0, on a home run by Davis.

Lanier breathed a little easier when he learned that Ryan only felt tightness in the hamstring. The strikeout leader may be ready for his next turn.

But there was no immediate recovery from Davis and Gullickson.

Davis drove in three runs with his fourth home run and a triple and raised his league-leading average to .526 with his sixth consecutive multiple-hit game. In his second full season, the former Fremont High School star may be developing into the best player in baseball.

In 8 of the 10 games the fleet center fielder has had at least two hits. He is 20 for 38, has driven in 11 runs and scored 12.

Gullickson has been almost as sharp. In improving his record to 3-0, Gullickson gave up four hits, struck out four, did not walk a batter and pitched the Reds’ first complete game.

In 23 innings this season, Gullickson has walked only two batters and yielded just four runs.

“That’s the best-pitched game against us all year,” Lanier told UPI. “Gullickson stayed ahead of the hitters and had command of all of his pitches. Ryan was throwing the ball well, too. Until the injury we had some duel in the making.”

Gullickson said the key to his success was not walking anybody.

“If I can put the ball right where I want it, with a little movement on it, I’ve got half the battle won,” Gullickson said. “I’ve always been a control pitcher. I know what I want to do with every pitch.”

Reds Manager Pete Rose said the 28-year-old right-hander might be ready for an awesome season.

San Francisco 2, Atlanta 1--After failing to come through in the clutch in the eighth inning, Will Clark did better in the 10th at San Francisco.

Clark stroked a one-out single over the head of right fielder Dale Murphy to score Robby Thompson from third with the winning run.

“I pride myself in situations like that because I was pretty much struggling all day,” Clark said. “Earlier I got the exact pitch I was looking for and missed it.”

In the eighth, the Giants had runners on first and third, but Clark popped out.

However, the Giants, who had been held scoreless for 19 innings, tied the game in the ninth when Jeff Leonard tripled and Candy Maldonado’s pop fly went for a wind-blown single.

Montreal 4, Chicago 2--Shortstop Tom Foley, filling in for injured Hubie Brooks, is not known for his offense, but he came through with the big hit at Chicago.

Foley’s two-run single was the big blow in a four-run second inning.

It was only Foley’s third hit of the season, but the second that was the game-winning hit. Thursday, his double drove in two runs in a 4-3 victory at St. Louis.

St. Louis 12, New York 8--Tommy Herr, a key hitter in the Cardinals’ attack two years ago when they won the National League pennant, is hitting again.

The switch-hitting second baseman hit the first grand slam of his career with two out in the 10th inning at St. Louis to break up a nearly four-hour thriller.

The Cardinals had to overcome deficits three times. They trailed, 4-0, early, then blew a 6-5 lead when the Mets scored twice in the top of the ninth. A throwing error by catcher Gary Carter trying to nail Ozzie Smith stealing third, tied the score in the bottom of the ninth.

The Mets again led, 8-7, in the 10th. But three singles, the last by rookie Tom Pagnozzi in his first major-league at-bat, tied the score shortly before Herr unloaded on Jesse Orosco.

Herr had six RBIs in the game and has 15 for the season, including four game-winning RBI. When he slumped 50 points last season to .252, Herr drove in only 61 runs.