National League Roundup : Expos Trim Cardinal Lead to 1 1/2 Games

The surprising Montreal Expos have made a pennant race out of the National League East.

While the New York Mets have surged into contention, it is the ability of the Expos to handle the St. Louis Cardinals that has made it a three-team race.

Vance Law hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the fifth inning Wednesday night at Montreal to give Dennis Martinez (9-3) and the Expos an 8-3 victory over the reeling Cardinals.

The sweep of the three-game series gave the Expos a 10-4 edge over the Cardinals this season and put them just two games back. The Mets are 6-6 with the Cardinals and are only 1 1/2 games behind.

The Cardinals, who led the division by nine games at the All-Star break, have more than just three defeats in a row to worry about. They begin a three-game series with the Mets Friday night in New York and they may be without their one power hitter, Jack Clark.

Clark sprained an ankle running out a grounder in the sixth inning. He will be examined in New York.

Martinez, a veteran of playoffs and World Series when he was with Baltimore, continued his comeback. He gave up nine hits but only three runs in 6 innings before the bullpen took over.

New York 11, Philadelphia 5--The onrushing Mets were held to just one hit in five innings at New York by Shane Rawley (17-8).

But Rawley, a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award, didn’t get anyone out in the sixth. He gave up five hits, including a two-run home run by Darryl Strawberry. Strawberry hit another two-run homer in the eighth and has 34 home runs.

At the suggestion of batting coach Bill Robinson, Keith Hernandez, who opened the sixth with a single, and Strawberry forced Rawley to slow down and he lost his rhythm.

“Rawley wanted to work fast,” Strawberry said. “We wouldn’t let him.”

Rick Aguilera (8-2) made it through seven innings to win his fourth in a row since coming off the disabled list last month.

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago 3--The Pirates let relief pitcher Jeff Robinson bat with two out in the top of the ninth at Chicago because the score was tied and they wanted to save bullpen ace Jim Gott for situations in which they were ahead.

Robinson promptly hit a Lee Smith fastball for his first major-league home run. Then, Gott came in to strike out two of the three batters he faced while earning his ninth save.

The Pirates have won 12 of 15 and are only 3 1/2 games behind the fifth-place Cubs in the East.

Atlanta 3, San Diego 2--Jim Acker, the new star of the Braves’ bullpen, retired eight consecutive batters at Atlanta to pick up his 10th save and strengthen the Braves’ hold on fourth place in the West.