National League Roundup : It’s Payback Time For Giants, 7-1

When the Houston Astros clinched the title in the National League West last season, they did it with a flourish--Mike Scott pitched a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 25.

It was with some extra satisfaction, then, that the Giants--at Scott’s expense--took another big step Wednesday toward their first division championship since 1971.

Eddie Milner, Mike Aldrete and Will Clark hammered home runs off the Cy Young Award winner as the Giants rolled to a 7-1 victory in Candlestick Park. With only 16 games remaining, the Giants lead Cincinnati by 7 1/2 games and the slipping Astros by 8 1/2.

Dave Dravecky (10-10), one of the key figures in the Giants’ drive toward the title, pitched a four-hitter to improve his record as a Giant to 7-3.

Clark, who also hit a two-run homer in the eighth, finished Scott (15-12) with a two-run home run in the sixth. Scott gave up four hits, five walks and five runs.

“It was especially satisfying to me,” said Clark, who has 31 home runs. “When Scott threw the no-hitter to clinch the division last September, I made the final out.

“For me to hit a home run off him and put them out of the race had great significance to me personally.”

For the last month, Manager Roger Craig has been telling everyone who would listen that the Giants would win the West. He has finally decided it’s all over.

“We’re like a machine now,” he said. “We just keep on rolling. Nobody’s going to catch us. I can guarantee you that.

“Dravecky pitched an outstanding ballgame. He’s been doing that pretty well since we got him.”

The 31-year-old left-hander was 3-7 when the Giants obtained him from San Diego July 4. At the time, the Giants were third, 5 1/2 games out of first. He has made 15 starts for the Giants and never given up more than four runs in a game. Only once has he failed to complete at least five innings. This was his fourth complete game.

On Sept. 7, when he retired the last 26 Giant batters he faced, Scott was accused of scuffing the baseball. But Wednesday, after Milner greeted him with a home run on his second pitch of the game, the Giants never raised the issue of an illegal pitch.

New York 10, Montreal 0--An experiment by Expos Manager Bob Rodgers was a dismal flop at Montreal.

Rodgers started Charlie Lea, who had not pitched in the majors in exactly three years, against the king of night pitchers, Dwight Gooden.

Lea, recently recovered from serious arm trouble, lasted two batters more than an inning, giving up four runs, two of them on wild pitches.

It probably didn’t matter, against Gooden. In improving his night-game record to 53-11, Gooden gave up three hits and struck out 11.

Two of the runs off Lea came on Darryl Strawberry’s 36th home run in the first inning. Joe Hesketh hit Strawberry in the ribs in the second inning and the Mets’ slugger left the game.

The Mets remained 1 1/2 games behind the Cardinals in the East, but the Expos dropped four behind.

St. Louis 8, Pittsburgh 5--The Cardinals, who have struggled to score runs in recent games, scored six in the first three innings at Pittsburgh and John Tudor gained his seventh win in nine decisions.

Former Pirate catcher Tony Pena delivered the big blow that handed the Pirates just their second defeat in the last 10 games. His two-run double, which Pirate Manager Jim Leyland argued was a foul ball, raised the Cardinals’ lead to 6-1 with two out in the third.

Tudor went 7 innings, giving up eight hits, two of them home runs by Mike Diaz. It was the second time in his career Diaz has hit two home runs in a game. Tudor was the victim each time.

Philadelphia 8, Chicago 5--Although he has 34 saves, it has not been a banner season for Lee Smith, long-time ace of the Cubs’ bullpen.

Smith lost for the 10th time this season when the Phillies exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning at Philadelphia.

Smith faced six batters. He struck out one, gave up two doubles that drove in five runs and walked three.

San Diego 3, Atlanta 0--Mark Grant pitched a two-hitter, rookie teammate Benito Santiago extended his hitting streak to 20 games and Tony Gwynn became the first hitter in the majors to reach 200 hits in this game at San Diego.

Gwynn’s triple in the fifth marked the third time in four years he has had at least 200 hits.