Cardinals Top Cubs on Clark’s 16th

Jack Clark made sure no one would steal this home run from him.

Clark, robbed of two-run homers the past two games by Cincinnati’s Eric Davis, belted a two-run homer in the first inning Friday that helped carry the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Clark’s homer, his 16th of the season, backed the combined seven-hit pitching of Danny Cox (6-2) and Todd Worrell.

“I wasn’t thinking about what happened in Cincinnati,” said Clark, who hit a 3-2 fastball into the upper rows of the center-field bleachers. “I take them if they go out.”

Clark’s drive off Greg Maddux (4-5) came after Terry Pendleton singled and went to second on a wild pitch.

“I made a mistake and it cost us the game,” said Maddux. “I was hoping it wouldn’t go out and would only be a double.”

“I thought he pitched very well,” said Chicago Manager Gene Michael of Maddux. “He got one up to Clark, who can hit them out on anyone.”

The Cubs, who scored 40 runs in three games against Houston including 22 on Wednesday, managed only one run. In the second inning, Manny Trillo lined a two-out single, went to third on Keith Moreland’s single and scored on Shawon Dunston’s single to left. Dunston was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Cox gave up six hits over 7 innings before giving way to Worrell, who earned his 12th save.

“When I saw they scored 22 runs the other day, I thought maybe I’d develop a sore arm or something,” Cox joked. “I was able to get ahead of the hitters. That’s the key against this team. They get a guy on base and they can pop one out.”

St. Louis cooled off red-hot Andre Dawson and Ryne Sandberg. Dawson struck out three times and went 0-for-4. Sandberg hit into three double plays and hit into a fielder’s choice in the eighth after Martinez had tripled with one out.

“When Cox is on, he’s tough,” Dawson said. “When he is struggling, you’ll know it early. Today he got some calls from the umpire. Some of them were out of the strike zone.”

The Cardinals added an insurance run in the seventh. Tony Pena reached on Sandberg’s throwing error to lead off the inning, went to second on a balk and to third on John Morris’ infield out. After Cox struck out, Vince Coleman bounced a single over Trillo at first.

“We let too many opportunities get by us,” said St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog, whose team also hit into three double plays. “With the shadows and everything, it’s dangerous. It’s amazing that someone doesn’t get killed out there. That’s why it helps to get the early lead when they start the games at 3:05 p.m.”