National League Roundup : McGee Gets 3 More RBIs as Cardinals Win, 4-1

Willie McGee, instead of wasting time contemplating the hot streak he’s on for the St. Louis Cardinals, would just as soon ride the wave.

“You just want to go out there and swing the bat; as long as you’re swinging, there’s always a chance,” McGee said after leading the Cardinals to a 4-1 victory Friday night over the Cubs in St. Louis. “I’m not the only one on this team that’s driving in runs. We’re getting help from a lot of guys. That’s why we’re winning.”

The switch-hitting McGee accounted for St. Louis’ winning margin by driving in three runs with a triple and double.

McGee has 47 runs batted in this season, including 25 in his last 20 games.

St. Louis, by beating Chicago a seventh time in 10 tries during the opener of a three-game weekend series, increased its lead to four games over the Cubs in the National League East.

Cardinal starter Bob Forsch (5-2) struck out four and walked one while allowing three hits in six innings.

The 37-year-old right-hander left at the start of the seventh with a jammed ankle he suffered while beating out an infield single in the fifth. Bill Dawley, Ricky Horton and Todd Worrell finished for St. Louis, with Worrell going the final 1 innings for his 15th save.

San Diego 5, San Francisco 0--Ed Whitson pitched a four-hitter and did not allow a runner past first base as the Padres beat the Giants at San Francisco.

Whitson, 7-6 for a team that has won only 16 games, struck out six and walked none. The victory was Whitson’s first complete game since 1985 when he pitched for the New York Yankees.

San Francisco starter Mike LaCoss (6-3) lasted only 1 innings. The Giants, who had a three-game winning streak snapped, remained tied with Cincinnati for the National League West lead.

Tim Flannery got his first of three singles to open the game, stole second and went to third on Randy Ready’s infield single. Tony Gwynn grounded into a force play, driving in Flannery with the game’s first run, then stole second and scored on a two-out single by Benito Santiago.

New York 10, Pittsburgh 2--Tim Teufel hit a grand slam and Howard Johnson added a two-run homer to support Sid Fernandez’s six-hit pitching over eight innings as the Mets beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Kevin McReynolds also homered as the Mets defeated the Pirates for the 25th time in their last 28 meetings. The Mets are 7-2 against the Pirates this season.

Fernandez (8-2) allowed only Mike Diaz’s second-inning solo homer and Johnny Ray’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly in lowering his National League-leading earned-run average to 2.17. Roger McDowell pitched the ninth inning for the Mets.

Pirates starter Rick Reuschel, the league ERA leader entering the game, saw his earned-run average climb from 2.13 to 2.61 after allowing six earned runs in five innings.

Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 3--Andres Thomas’ two-run single snapped a fifth-inning tie, and Rick Mahler allowed four hits over seven innings to snap a personal seven-game losing streak as the Braves beat the Reds in Cincinnati.

Mahler (3-7) had not won in his last 12 starts going into Friday’s game after beginning the season 2-0. Jim Acker pitched the final two innings for his sixth save.

The Braves took a 4-2 lead by scoring twice on three consecutive hits in the fifth inning off starter Jerry Reuss (0-5). The Reds have lost all seven games that Reuss has started since he was signed May 12 as a free agent.

Montreal 13, Philadelphia 6--Hubie Brooks went 5 for 5 with six RBIs to power the Expos over the Phillies at Montreal.

Bryn Smith (4-2) went 6 innings for the victory. He gave up eight hits, walked three and struck out seven. Shane Rawley (7-3) had his six-game winning streak snapped. The Expos had 19 hits.