National League Roundup : Padres Sweep Astros on Hawkins’ One-Hitter

The Houston Astros went into San Diego for a weekend series riding atop the National League West and boasting that they had the best starting pitchers in baseball.

Tell it to the Padres.

Andy Hawkins completed a weekend sweep for the Padres by pitching a one-hitter, and rookie Roberto Alomar singled in a run in the fifth inning to give the Padres a 3-0 victory.

The only hit off Hawkins (2-1) was a crisp single by Bill Doran leading off the seventh inning. Hawkins walked three in pitching his first complete game since 1986. The 28-year-old right-hander was 3-10 last season with a 5:05 ERA.

The Astros’ pitching in the series wasn’t bad, it’s just that the Padres’ was sensational.

Jimmy Jones, with help from Mark Davis, beat Nolan Ryan Friday night, 3-1. Saturday, Ed Whitson and three relievers, including Davis, beat Danny Darwin, 4-0.

But the masterpiece was weaved by Hawkins against Jim Deshaies (1-2).

“I wasn’t surprised when Doran got the hit,” Hawkins said. “I wasn’t counting on throwing a no-hitter. Maybe, if I had gotten into the eighth or ninth, I might have started thinking about it.”

Although he was 1-1 coming in, Hawkins had a 6.75 ERA. It had been more than two years since he last pitched a shutout.

“He may not be that good, but he was today,” Houston Manager Hal Lanier said.

The Astros, who have lost 10 in a row in Jack Murphy Stadium, scored their only run of the series in the third inning Friday night.

“We were hitting good when we came in here,” Lanier said. “But that shows you what good pitching does to good hitting.”

Doran said the pitch he hit to spoil the no-hitter was a fastball. He was quickly erased by a double play.

Shortstop Dickie Thon, a former Astro, singled, took second on Hawkins’ one-out sacrifice, and scored on Alomar’s hit after an intentional walk to Tony Gwynn in the fifth to break the 0-0 tie. In the eighth, Marvell Wynne tripled after a walk to Randy Ready to knock out Deshaies. Benito Santiago squeezed in Wynne.

The Astros, held scoreless for the last 24 innings by Padre pitchers, managed to get only two runners as far as second base against Hawkins.

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago 2--Center fielder Andy Van Slyke, whose defense and timely hitting have played a prominent part in the Pirates’ 13-4 start, credits the fast finish in 1987 for the fast beginning in 1988.

“I don’t think we’d be playing this well if we hadn’t done what we did at the end of last season,” Van Slyke said after hitting his third home run in the game at Pittsburgh.

Bob Walk (3-1) and two relievers held the slumping Cubs to eight hits, and the Pirates beat them for the fifth time in six games this season.

Darnell Coles’ single, following a Sid Bream pop-fly double, broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning and Rafael Belliard followed with a run-scoring triple.

St. Louis 5, New York 4--The Cardinals ran wild on the bases at St. Louis and survived another Howard Johnson home run to finally beat the Mets after five consecutive losses.

The Cardinals stole six bases, including two by Vince Coleman, who is 34-0 in steals in his career against the Mets, and took a 5-2 lead into the ninth.

But Johnson hit a two-run homer off Danny Cox (2-2) with two out, and Todd Worrell, who has had trouble with Met hitters, had to come in and get the last out.

Tom Brunansky and Bob Horner each drove in two runs for the Cardinals. Willie McGee, batting only .206, singled in the tie-breaking run in the seventh.

Montreal 3, Philadelphia 1--Despite a painfully sore finger, Mike Fitzgerald singled in the tie-breaking run at Philadelphia to make a winner again of Dennis Martinez.

Martinez (3-2) gave up 5 hits and an unearned run in 7 innings as he continues to prove that his comeback last season was for real.

Tim Burke saved the victory. He came in with runners on first and third. With a fake to first, he turned and picked Von Hayes off third base.

Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 1--Dale Murphy broke out of a slump with three hits at Atlanta and the Braves’ run-scoring drought ended.

In winning their first home game in 10 tries this season, the Braves halted a string of scoreless innings at 28 with a first-inning run.

Rookie Pete Smith (1-1) and two relievers held the Reds to six hits and ended the Braves’ losing streak at three games.

Murphy was 3 for 3 and raised his average from .173 to .218.