National League Roundup : Dawson Turns Critic, Then Puts on a Show as Cubs Beat Padres

Andre Dawson went to the movies and came out with his home run swing back.

Dawson hit a pair of home runs and a double and drove in four runs Monday at Chicago in support of Steve Trout’s four-hit pitching to lead the Cubs to a 7-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.

“I watched some films of when I was going good and I noticed I was opening my hips too much,” Dawson said. “So I closed up a little bit and it helped.”

Dawson went nearly a month without a home run before breaking the spell Sunday against San Francisco.

Batting cleanup for the first time this season, he led off the second inning with a homer, doubled and scored in the fourth and capped a four-run fifth with a three-run homer, his 23rd of the season.

In the last two games, Dawson has three home runs and eight runs batted in. He raised his season RBI total to 73, second in the league to Jack Clark of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Both of Dawson’s homers cleared the left-field screen and landed on Waveland Avenue. It marked the fourth time this season, and the 21st time in his career, that Dawson has hit two homers in one game.

Dawson, usually the No. 3 batter, batted cleanup for the Montreal Expos last year when Hubie Brooks was on the disabled list.

“It doesn’t make much difference except I like to come up in the first inning, and sometimes it doesn’t work that way when you’re batting fourth,” Dawson said.

Keith Moreland had three hits and drove in two runs with a single and his 14th homer, but all the offense wasn’t needed as Trout (5-3) pitched his first shutout in two years.

“I’ll take it after my last two performances,” Trout said.

Mark Grant (1-3), making his first start since coming from the San Francisco Giants in a weekend trade, got the loss.

Trout allowed only four singles, two by Garry Templeton, walked three and struck out five in pitching his second complete game of the season.

Philadelphia 9, Cincinnati 6--Glenn Wilson snapped a fifth-inning tie with a two-run homer, and Lance Parrish added a three-run shot as the Phillies beat the Reds in Cincinnati.

With the score tied, 6-6, in the fifth, Parrish led off with a single against starter Ted Power (6-4). Wilson followed with his 11th homer.

Von Hayes gave the Phillies a three-run lead when he hit his 12th home run, leading off the ninth.

Mike Jackson (3-6) pitched 4 innings in relief of Shane Rawley for the victory. Steve Bedrosian pitched two innings for his 22nd save, tops in the league.

Houston 9, Montreal 3--Danny Darwin threw a five-hitter over eight innings, and Alan Ashby hit a two-run homer to lead the Astros to a victory over the Expos at Houston.

Darwin (5-5) retired 11 straight batters until Mitch Webster singled with one out in the sixth. Dave Meads pitched the ninth inning for the Astros.

Montreal starter Dennis Martinez (3-1) lasted only 2 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits.

Houston made it 6-2 in the third on an RBI double by Jose Cruz and Ashby’s eighth homer.

Hubie Brooks led off the Expos’ second with with his seventh home run.

San Francisco 7-7, Pittsburgh 5-4--Mike LaCoss pitched eight innings and drove in two runs in the nightcap as the Giants swept the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

In the opener, Dave Dravecky scattered five hits over five innings in his first start for San Francisco and Chili Davis drove in a pair of runs.

Dravecky (4-7), obtained Saturday in a seven-player trade with the Padres, walked four and struck out four. Scott Garrelts pitched 1 innings for his 11th save.

“I normally have butterflies before I go out there and start the game anyway,” Dravecky said. “They were a little larger butterflies today. I’m happy with the trade. I think I gained 12 games in the standings by coming to this ballclub.”

In the second game, LaCoss (7-5) allowed 10 hits, walked one and struck out two. Craig Lefferts relieved Jeff Robinson and recorded his third save and first since being obtained from San Diego.

Eddie Milner doubled off Doug Drabek (1-8), who lost his seventh straight, to open the fourth inning. Milner scored when Drabek’s errant pickoff throw went into center field.

The Giants went ahead, 4-0, with three runs in the sixth. Mike Aldrete hit Drabek’s first pitch for his second home run of the year, a three-run shot to left.

San Francisco scored three runs in the seventh on a two-run single by LaCoss and an RBI single by Milner to take a 7-0 lead.

Trailing 7-2, Pittsburgh scored twice in the ninth when third baseman Kevin Mitchell’s throwing error produced one run and Mike LaValliere hit a run-scoring double.