National League Roundup : Forsch Gives Cardinals Breathing Room, 6-0

Word that Bob Forsch and St. Louis beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0, Monday night at Pittsburgh was good news to Cardinal fans.

It was Forsch’s first shutout in nearly two seasons and marked the 10th time in a 14-year career that he has reached double figures in wins. Seeing Jim Lindeman continue to attack Pirate pitching with a three-run home run had to be equally welcome.

But the most important news was the Cardinals getting some breathing room in the race for the National League East title. Not a lot, but more than a couple days ago.

After holding a 3 1/2-game lead Saturday, at which point the second-place New York Mets had won seven straight and 9 of 10, St. Louis increaded its cushion back to 5 1/2, thanks to Forsch (10-3) and Lindeman.

“I was able to get all of my pitches over at about any time,” said the 37-year-old Forsch, who has allowed only one earned run in his last 17 innings. “We needed to get some innings from the starter tonight because of yesterday (an 8-7, 14-inning loss to Philadelphia) and I was glad I was able to go all the way.”

The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the second inning against Pittsburgh’s Brian Fisher (7-7). Willie McGee doubled, and Terry Pendleton reached on Bobby Bonilla’s error at third before Lindeman hit a 3-and-2 pitch over the left-field wall for his sixth homer of the season, his fifth against the Pirates and his fourth at Three Rivers Stadium.

The Cardinals made it 6-0 in the sixth on three walks, Lindeman’s single and a balk by reliever Hipolito Pena.

The Pirates failed to advance a runner past second base.

Jack Clark of the Cardinals set an NL record in the third inning with a walk in his 16th consecutive game. Darrell Evans, then of the Atlanta Braves, set the mark at 15 in 1976. The major league best is 22, set by Roy Cullenbine of Detroit in 1947.

Montreal 2, New York 1--The Expos did their part at New York to help the Cardinals’ cause as Tim Wallach drove in the tie-breaking run in the third inning and Dennis Martinez made it stand up with his seventh victory in eight decisions.

Montreal, snapping a three-game losing streak, pulled within a half-game of the Mets for second place.

Martinez, 3-0 against New York, pitched seven innings, allowing seven hits, before getting relief help from Bob McClure and Tim Burke, who earned his 11th save. The Expos have won 11 of the 12 games Martinez has started.

“The hitters over here (in the NL) didn’t know me, and now I’m mixing up my pitches real well,” said Martinez, a former member of the Baltimore Orioles. “Previously, I didn’t use my head and I tried to challenge everybody with the fastball.”

John Mitchell (3-4) took the loss.

San Francisco 6, Houston 5--The Giants remained one game behind Cincinnati in the West as Candy Maldonado and Will Clark hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning at San Francisco.

Maldonado led off the ninth with his 13th home run, off Dave Meads (5-3), to tie the score. Clark then hit a 2-and-1 pitch from Meads into the upper deck in right field for his 25th homer and his fifth in the last six games.

Don Robinson (7-6) picked up the victory by pitching the ninth.

San Diego 2, Atlanta 0--Rookie Jimmy Jones pitched a two-hitter for his first complete game of the season, and Benito Santiago hit atwo-run homer in the seventh inning at San Diego as the Padres won their sixth straight, their longest streak of the season.

Jones (5-4), who retired the side in order in seven of the nine innings, allowed singles to Ken Oberkfell and Gerald Perry and an intentional walk in the fourth inning, but nothing else. The Braves loaded the bases, but Paul Runge hit into a force play to end the threat.

Atlanta’s Doyle Alexander (5-10) allowed only three hits over seven innings. His undoing was the seventh, when Chris Brown walked with one out and Santiago followed with his 10th home run.

“He’s better than a 4.85 ERA pitcher,” Atlanta Manager Chuck Tanner said of Jones. “He had the advantage of getting all his pitches over. Alexander pitched a winning game but we were not able to get to Jones.”

The Padres have won 9 of their last 11 and are two games over .500 against West opponents.