National League Roundup : Downs Helps Giants Move Up, 4-0

Kelly Downs is only a .500 pitcher, but there are times when the San Francisco Giants’ right-hander is as good as anyone.

Downs was at his best Sunday at San Francisco when he retired the first 13 batters and pitched a 3-hitter in a 4-0 victory over Pittsburgh that put the Giants just 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West.

While the Giants seem ready to make a run at first place, the Pirates seem headed the other way. After losing 2 out of 3 to the Giants, they fell 7 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the East.

The Giants gave Downs the run he needed when Mike Dunne (5-7), plagued by wildness lately, walked the first two batters he faced, then committed a balk. The run scored on Kevin Mitchell’s sacrifice fly.

It was the third shutout for Downs, and he has 4 of the Giants’ 6 complete games. Seven times he has gone into the fourth inning without giving up a hit.

On June 7, he had a two-hitter against Atlanta and June 24 he had a two-hitter against Houston. But, in between he gave up 6 runs and 10 hits in 6 innings against the Braves and 7 runs and 7 hits in 2 innings against the Reds.

The Giants need consistency from Downs now. Just before the game they learned that Mike Krukow, suffering from an inflamed shoulder, had to go on the 21-day disabled list. Dave Dravecky, another starter, is also injured.

“It was another masterpiece,” Giants’ Manager Roger Craig said. “Kelly is capable of that. I look for him to develop more consistency as the season goes on.”

Darnell Coles broke up the no-hitter on a clean single with one out in the fifth. The only other hits off Downs (7-7) were a bunt single by Dunne in the sixth and a leadoff single in the eighth by Sid Bream.

“He has some of the best stuff going,” said the Pirates’ Bobby Bonilla, one of the better hitters in the league. “I mean, it’s nasty. Everything he throws. I don’t know how he could be just a .500 pitcher.”

Mitchell, batting cleanup in place of ailing Candy Maldonado, drove in three of the Giant runs.

“It makes no difference where I bat--I didn’t even think about batting fourth,” said Mitchell, who had two singles in addition to his sacrifice fly.

New York 5, Houston 0--The Mets, figuring they have already wrapped up the East, are beginning to wonder about who they will face in the playoffs.

The Mets won 4 of 5 from the Astros in this series at New York.

Sid Fernandez pitched a two-hitter, and the Mets handed Nolan Ryan his fifth consecutive defeat. It was the first complete game for Fernandez in 33 starts.

He also contributed to the assault on Ryan (5-7), getting two hits, driving in a run and scoring another.

“I was starting to get tired around the sixth inning,” Fernandez said. “Then, I got my second wind and turned in my best performance.”

Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 2--Left-hander Danny Jackson pitched a three-hitter at Philadelphia for his third consecutive complete-game victory over the Phillies.

Three doubles in the fifth inning, the last by Eric Davis brought the Reds from behind to the victory that gave Jackson a 9-4 record.

“This equals last year’s wins,” said Jackson, who was an 18-game loser at Kansas City. “I was 4-10 at the All-Star game so I figure I’m way ahead.”

Jackson struck out seven and did not allow a hit after Phil Bradley doubled with two out in the fourth.

Montreal 9, Atlanta 2--John Dopson missed by one out of pitching a complete game at Montreal as the Expos beat up on the hapless Braves again.

With the bases loaded in the ninth and two runs already in, Manager Bob Rodgers replaced Dopson with Andy McGaffigan. Dopson had an 11-hit shutout going into the ninth and gave up 4 more hits in the inning.

Mike Fitzgerald, just back from the minors, doubled in three runs in the six-run third inning that broke it open early.

St. Louis 5, San Diego 4--When you’re holding a one-run lead with two out in the ninth inning and the Cardinals have a runner on base, there is only one batter you don’t want to face--Tom Brunansky.

But, that’s who Lance McCullers had to pitch to, and the Cardinal slugger hit the two-run home run that gave St. Louis only its sixth win in 22 games. It was Brunansky’s 11th home run and fifth in six games at San Diego.

“He’s been great for us,” Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said. “We’d really be in trouble without him.”