National League Roundup : Giants Sweep a Pair From Cardinals on Home Runs by Clark

The St. Louis Cardinals went into San Francisco Friday for a four-game series with the Giants breezing along 9 1/2 games in front in the East. They left Sunday night wondering what hit them and suddenly finding themselves in a pennant race.

It was a series between the team with the worst home record in the league against the team with the best road record in the majors. Naturally, the Cardinals expected to at least break even.

Instead, the Giants swept the series, and tightened up both division races in the process.

After Will Clark delighted a Candlestick Park crowd of 41,256 by hitting the home runs that gave San Francisco 6-3 and 5-2 victories in Sunday’s doubleheader, the Giants were only one game behind in the suddenly tight race in the West.

The Cardinals went home after a 5-6 trip, holding only a six-game lead over surging Montreal.

Clark’s three-run home run off Cardinal bullpen ace Todd Worrell with one out in the 10th won the opener, while Clark’s 18th home run broke a 2-2 tie in the nightcap.

Until Clark hit the home run in the opener, he was scheduled to sit out the nightcap against a left-hander, Greg Mathews.

“I was going to play (Bob) Brenly at first,” Manager Roger Craig said. “But when Will starts to hit, he doesn’t care from what side the pitcher throws. Maybe, he’ll hit a couple more this week.”

The Giants open a series with the Dodgers tonight at Dodger Stadium.

The Giants, holding the vaunted Cardinals offense to just 12 runs in the four games, used bases on balls as a weapon. Every time former teammate Jack Clark came to bat in a situation in which he could hurt the Giants, he was walked.

The Cardinals first baseman, who leads the majors with 89 runs batted in, drew 10 walks in the series and has 100 for the season. Clark was 1 for 7 in the series and did not drive in a run.

It was the second time the Cardinals, whose 61-36 record is still the best in the majors, were swept in a series this season. In early May, the Giants went into St. Louis and won two games, scoring 22 runs.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith said. “They did all the things they had to do. This was probably the best they’ve played all year.”

Montreal 6, Cincinnati 0--The Expos and Reds are going in opposite directions. The Expos are climbing into the race in the East, while the Reds are falling back to the pack in the West.

An angry Pete Rose lashed out at his Reds after Floyd Youmans pitched his third shutout in his last four starts and catcher Jerry Reed hit a three-run home run, his first home run in the National League,

The Expos’ third win in a row over the Reds at Montreal cut Cincinnati’s lead in the West to a single game over the Giants.

“I don’t think half of these players realize the situation we’re in,” said Rose, who was visibly upset. “I don’t understand what they are doing. When I played, I went out there and had fun. In the last three games here, these guys didn’t seem to show any interest.”

It may be time for Manager Rose to activate player Rose. Rose has been taking batting practice more or less regularly lately. Maybe he could shake up his club.

Houston 5, New York 2--A year has really made a big difference in the fortunes of the Mets. At this time in 1986, they were breezing along, 15 1/2 games in front in the East and on their way to establishing themselves as the best team in baseball.

Everything went right. Relief pitchers came through, the hitters delivered in the clutch and the Mets were one big happy family.

A lot of strife, trouble and downright bad luck have all but made certain the Mets won’t even repeat in the East.

Things are so bad they don’t even have their World Series championship flag. Early in the morning before Sunday’s game, someone, posing as a worker with a garbage removal truck entering the picnic area behind center field, stole the flag valued at about $1,000.

This game was a typical defeat. After Dwight Gooden pitched a strong eight innings and left with a 2-1 lead, the Astros unloaded on reliever Jesse Orosco. Billy Hatcher’s three-run home run climaxed a four-run ninth that dropped the Mets’ record to 53-45. A year ago it was 66-32.

Philadelphia 7, Atlanta 3--Going into the bottom of the eighth at Philadelphia, it was 3-3. But, Milt Thompson, Von Hayes and Mike Schmidt hit consecutive home runs off Doyle Alexander before he could get a man out in the inning.

Schmidt’s home run was his 22nd this season and 517th of his career.

San Diego 7, Pittsburgh 4--Luis Salazar hit a two-run home run to highlight a five-run fourth inning at San Diego that enabled the Padres to get a split in the four-game series between the league’s two last-place teams.

Ed Whitson (9-7) went the distance for his first win in more than a month.