National League Roundup : Hawkins and Padres End Streaks With a 6-5 Victory Over Philadelphia

One victory these days is enough to get Andy Hawkins and the San Diego Padres excited.

Kevin Mitchell’s two-run homer Sunday at Philadelphia helped Hawkins and the Padres to a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I’m thrilled with it, not just happy, I’m thrilled,” Hawkins said.

“I’ve never had a start like this before. But I’m just happy to get a win. Now maybe I can get going.”

Hawkins (1-5) probably was having visions of a reverse of his great start in 1985. He won his first 11 decisions that year and finished 18-8. Sunday, he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, struck out 3 and walked 3 in 7 innings. Lance McCullers pitched the final two innings for his fourth save.

The Padres, who have the worst record in the major leagues (9-30), had lost 5 straight and 10 of 11.

San Diego survived a scare in the ninth inning when, with two runners on, Mike Schmidt hit a drive to the center-field wall that Marvell Wynne caught to end the game.

“I thought Schmidt’s ball was going out,” Padre Manager Larry Bowa said. “We sure made it interesting . . . a nail-biter.”

San Diego scored three times in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Wynne led off with a walk off Mike Jackson (0-3), stole second, took third when Steve Jeltz couldn’t hold Jackson’s pickoff attempt and scored on Jackson’s wild pitch.

Jackson walked Tony Gwynn and Mitchell followed with his third homer.

San Diego added a run in the sixth when John Kruk doubled, went to third on a force play and scored on a passed ball by John Russell. In the seventh, Kruk hit a two-run double.

Schmidt hit his 13th home run of the year and 508th of his career.

Chicago 6, Houston 4--The Cubs hit four home runs, two by Brian Dayett, and swept a three-game series from the Astros at Houston.

The victory gave the Cubs a 16-5 record on the road, best in the majors, and kept them in a virtual tie with St. Louis for the lead in the National League East.

Mike Mason, acquired Friday from Texas, got his first National League victory by throwing four innings of four-hit relief. Cub starter Scott Sanderson left after two innings with a slightly strained left hamstring.

Lee Smith recorded his 12th save, the most in the majors, with 1 innings of hitless relief.

Shawon Dunston and Manny Trillo also homered off Bob Knepper (2-3) as Chicago built a 6-1 lead after four innings.

St. Louis 10, Cincinnati 2--Rookie catcher Tom Pagnozzi hit a grand slam and Lee Tunnell got the victory in his first major league game since 1985 as the Cardinals trounced the Reds to complete a three-game sweep at St. Louis.

Tunnell (1-0) allowed six hits in seven innings to get his first major league victory since Sept. 14, 1985, when he was with Pittsburgh. He struck out six and walked one.

Former Dodger Jerry Reuss (0-2), making his second start for the Reds, allowed singles by Willie McGee and and Tommy Herr before walking Jose Oquendo with two out in the fifth. Guy Hoffman relieved Reuss and Pagnozzi hit a 3-1 pitch for his second homer of the year to make it 8-1.

Reuss gave up 7 runs and 10 hits in 4 innings. It was 1-1 in the fourth when Oquendo hit a run-scoring double off Reuss, and Tunnell and Vince Coleman followed with RBI singles.

New York 6, San Francisco 4--Howard Johnson capped a six-run fifth with a three-run homer and rookie David Cone won his second straight game as the Mets ended their weekend losing streak at New York.

The Mets had lost 11 straight on Saturday and Sunday.

Cone (2-2) allowed 9 hits, struck out 6 and walked 2 . Roger McDowell pitched the ninth inning and got his second save.

Keith Hernandez singled home a run to tie the score, 1-1, and chase Atlee Hammaker (1-1) in the fifth. Gary Carter followed with a two-run double off Greg Minton before Johnson connected on a 3-0 pitch from Mark Davis.

Pittsburgh 6, Atlanta 5--Mike Diaz hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to give the Pirates the victory at Pittsburgh.

Reliever Don Robinson (4-1) allowed Albert Hall’s two-run single that tied the score in the eighth, but shut out the Braves in the ninth to get the victory.