National League Roundup : Pirates Ruin Cardinal Home Debut

Although they finished last season as the hottest team in baseball, winning 27 of their last 38 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates weren’t highly regarded this season.

At best, they were expected to finish fourth in the Eastern Division, behind the New York Mets, who were expected to be runaway winners, Montreal and defending champion St. Louis.

The indications are that Jim Leyland’s Pirates are for real.

Barry Bonds doubled twice and scored two runs, and Bobby Bonilla homered again as the Pirates spoiled the Cardinals’ home debut with a 4-3 victory Friday night.

The Pirates are 2-1, and the Cardinals, despite the pleas of a crowd of 51,647 are 0-3.

“I understand why people are reluctant to pick us,” Leyland told the Associated Press, “but we’re not going to fall on our faces. It is a tough division, but we have proved that we can compete.”

Houston 8, Cincinnati 3--Nolan Ryan picked up where he left off last season. Still throwing bullets at 41, he seldoms gets a win.

Although he had the best earned-run average in the majors last season (2.76), Ryan was 8-15 with the Astros. He led the league in strikeouts, but victories were difficult to come by.

In his debut in this game at Cincinnati, Ryan gave up 4 hits in 7 innings and struck out 11. Of course, he didn’t win. In fact, he was behind when he left.

The Astros tied the game in the ninth, then broke it open with five in the 16th as Billy Hatcher, 0 for 6 until the last inning, drove in two runs with a single to key the winning rally.

Chicago 6, Montreal 4--Dave Martinez sheepishly confessed that he didn’t realize he had hit the first grand slam of his career for the Cubs in the second inning at Montreal.

“I didn’t know the bases were loaded,” he said. “Maybe that’s the best way to be----there’s less pressure when you’re not aware of the baserunners.”

Philadelphia 5, New York 1--Barry Ruffin found his groove late in spring training and stayed in it for his first start of the season at Philadelphia.

Ruffin, sharp in his last two spring outings, pitched a six-hitter and made only one mistake, a pitch Gary Carter hit for his third home run of the season.

Lance Parrish hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

San Francisco 5, San Diego 1--Kevin Mitchell drove in three runs with a home run and a single at San Francisco as the winless Padres lost their fourth in a row.

Mike LaCoss gave up just three hits and a run in six innings in his first start of the season.

In the first 4 games, 3 of which the Giants have won, their pitchers have given up just 8 runs and 18 hits. The Padres have only 6 runs and 23 hits in 4 games.