National League Roundup : Giants’ Slump Reaches Swoon Proportions, 6-5

The Giants continued their home run barrage Saturday at San Francisco, still without positive results.

Four more homers against the Houston Astros gave them 12 in the last three games, but only Chili Davis’ blast in the ninth inning came with a runner on base as the Giants lost, 6-5, to Jim Deshaies and the Astros--the 11th defeat in 13 games for San Francisco.

The Giants fell below .500 (36-37) for the first time since last Sept. 7, and to make matters worse, will be without outfielder Candy Maldonado for about six weeks.

Maldonado, among the top 10 in six categories in the National League, including third in batting at .333, broke his right ring finger against the right-field wall while chasing a third-inning triple by Kevin Bass.

Bass also had two doubles and a home run. He missed the cycle when, in his last at-bat, he looped a fly ball that fell between shortstop Matt Williams and left fielder Jeffrey Leonard, and legged it into a double. Still, he became the first Houston player to get four extra-base hits in a game.

Deshaies (8-2) limited the Giants to 3 runs and 5 hits in 7 innings and won for the sixth straight time. Matt Williams reached him for two home runs.

Davis also homered twice, the second off reliever Danny Darwin with none out in the ninth, cutting Houston’s lead to 6-5. But Dave Meads came in to strike out pinch-hitter Harry Spilman, and Larry Andersen got the final two outs for his first save of the season.

New York 5, Philadelphia 4--Mookie Wilson had three hits and scored twice, and Terry Leach scattered 4 hits over 8 innings to improve his record to 6-0 as the Mets won for the seventh time in nine games.

It was the Phillies’ seventh loss in nine games under Manager Lee Elia and their ninth in the last 11 overall.

Leach allowed 2 runs, struck out 3 and did not walk a batter for his third win as a starter after three victories in relief. After a two-out single by Darren Daulton in the fourth, Leach retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether I start or relieve,” said Leach, who has started 4 games and relieved in 19 this season. “What’s tough is to swap back and forth. You have to get your mind set to do it, and I’m getting used to it.”

Shane Rawley (8-5) allowed 5 runs and 9 hits in 4 innings for Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh 7, Chicago 0--Rick Reuschel pitched a four-hitter, and Junior Ortiz had three RBIs at Pittsburgh as the Pirates, who scored five times in the fifth inning, moved ahead of Philadelphia and out of last place in the East.

Reuschel has allowed one earned run or less in 9 of 16 starts this season, and his earned-run average of 2.33 is second in the league to Houston’s Mike Scott (2.28). The Cubs have lost four straight and scored only five runs in the process.

St. Louis 15, Montreal 5--Curt Ford, who began the game at Montreal with 3 home runs in 345 major league at-bats, hit two homers in three innings, and Terry Pendleton also drove in three runs to lead the Cardinals.

Expo Manager Buck Rodgers used six pitchers, including infielder Vance Law, who worked the final 1 innings and gave up 3 hits and 1 run.

“I had to save a reliever,” Rodgers said. “And with the game almost out of reach, I figured it was time to relax the players and put some fun into the game.”

San Diego 8, Atlanta 4--Tim Flannery scored from third base on a double-play grounder in the seventh inning to snap a 4-4 tie at San Diego, and the Padres went on to extend the Braves’ losing streak to six games.

Tony Gwynn went 3 for 4 to raise his average to .383, the best in the majors.

Andy Hawkins started for the Padres and went 5 innings before giving way to Lance McCullers (4-5), who worked the next 2 innings and got the win. Rich Gossage pitched the ninth, yielding a leadoff single before striking out the next three batters.

Reliever Jeff Dedmon (2-2) took the loss.

The Padres have won 11 of their last 14 games.