National League Roundup : Padres Deliver Some Lessons of Their Own, 6-2

The San Diego Padres were the worst team in the majors for the first three months of the season. They won only 15 of their first 61 games, were 19 games out of first place and already talking about next year.

Rookie Manager Larry Bowa soon realized that his young Padres were still learning and might soon start putting their lessons to good use.

Although it’s much too late to make a showing in the National League West, the Padres are playing better than any other team in the division and better than many in the East.

Friday night at New York, John Kruk hit a two-run home run and rookie right-hander Jimmy Jones won his fourth in a row as the Padres beat the Mets, 6-2.

Jones (6-4) needed help in the seventh inning, but he outpitched Ron Darling and the Padres ended Darling’s six-game winning streak and dropped the Mets 3 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the East.

Kruk’s home run, his 16th, gave Jones a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Jones, who has gone the distance only once in 17 starts, had a three-hitter and a 6-0 lead after six innings. He gave up singles to the first two batters in the seventh, and Bowa went to the bullpen.

In his previous start, Jones had a 15-3 lead going into the fifth inning and had to be bailed out before he pitched long enough to get credit for the victory.

On Aug. 10, Jones pitched his only complete game, a two-hitter against the Atlanta Braves.

“All I had when I came up was a fastball and curve,” Jones said. “I’m getting more confidence in a palm ball. When I get that pitch mastered, I will have an easier time in the middle innings.”

Since June 11, when they were 15-46, the Padres have a 35-26 record. But they are still in the cellar, 3 games behind the fifth-place Braves.

San Francisco 6, Montreal 3--Manager Roger Craig of the Giants was feeling pretty good earlier in the day when he outbid the Cincinnati Reds for veteran right-hander Rick Reuschel of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He was feeling even better after Jeffrey Leonard hit a three-run home run in the first inning at Montreal, and the Giants went on to win and take over sole possession of first place in the West.

Leonard’s home run started the downfall of Dennis Martinez (7-2), who had won won six in a row. Martinez was relieved in the seventh after giving up all the Giant runs.

Dave Dravecky (7-9) gave up 10 hits in 5 innings but got the win after Don Robinson retired the last 10 Expos’ batters for his 15th save.

The Giants lead the Reds by one game and Houston by 1 1/2.

Chicago 7, Houston 5--Although the Cubs are having a hard time making him believe it, Andre Dawson always comes out slugging after getting a day off.

The slugging outfielder, who rested Thursday, hit two home runs at Chicago to become the first major leaguer to hit 40 home runs this season.

Dawson drove in three runs to raise his league-leading runs batted in total to 107.

“At this point of the season, days off don’t make any difference,” Dawson said. “It might help physically, but you’re still mentally sluggish.”

Lee Smith pitched the last two innings to get the save. The hard-throwing right-hander became the first pitcher in National League history to get 30 saves in four consecutive seasons.

St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1--The Cardinals’ hitting slump continued, but their five-game losing streak ended as John Tudor gave them an encouraging performance at Cincinnati.

Tudor, who has missed most of the season after breaking a leg in a freak accident, held the heavy-hitting Reds to one hit in five innings. He needed help from Todd Worrell in the seventh but won his second game of the season.

Center fielder Eric Davis, who has taken home runs away from Cardinal slugger Jack Clark twice this season, almost took one away from Jim Lindeman. But, in leaping high for Lindeman’s drive in the fifth, Davis lost his glove as the ball cleared the fence.

Atlanta 5, Pittsburgh 4--Dale Murphy hit his 300th home run, and Gerald Perry singled in the winning run in the seventh inning at Atlanta.

Murphy homer, his 34th of the season, came off Brian Fisher in the sixth and gave the Braves a 4-2 lead.

Barry Bonds tied it with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh. It was Bonds’ fifth homer in the last five games.