National League Roundup : Browning Helps Reds Clamp Down on Mets

Left-hander Tom Browning allowed three hits through eight innings Tuesday night to earn his sixth straight victory as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Mets, 3-1, at New York.

Browning (8-3) struck out 5 and walked 1 before being replaced at the start of the ninth by John Franco, who picked up his 11th save. It was the Reds’ third straight win. Bob Ojeda (6-7) was a loser for the fifth time in his last seven decisions. He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the first when Kal Daniels singled, stole second, advanced to third on a balk and scored on Chris Sabo’s double. Nick Esasky drove in the second run with a single.

Daniels opened the sixth with a double, went to third on Barry Larkin’s single and scored when Sabo hit into a double play.

The Mets, spoiled Browning’s bid for a shutout when Darryl Strawberry doubled and scored on Kevin McReynolds’ single in the seventh inning.

Browning credits his winning streak to learning to pitch within his limits.

“Now I’m only doing what I’m capable of doing,” he said. “I’m in a groove, and I hope to stay in it. I’m not a power pitcher, but it took me a while to realize it.

“I’d get stubborn and try to blow the ball past everybody, but it didn’t work. Once I learned to stay within myself, things have gone well. Tonight, I had great command and great location.”

Pittsburgh 3, San Diego 2--Andy Van Slyke snapped a 2-2 tie with a home run in the seventh inning and then preserved the lead by throwing John Kruk out at home in the ninth to give the Pirates the victory at San Diego.

Van Slyke’s 13th home run came with two out in the seventh off Jimmy Jones (5-8) and made a winner out of Bob Walk (9-4).

Kruk led off the ninth with a single and was sacrificed to second by Keith Moreland. After Chris Brown walked, Barry Jones relieved Walk and allowed a single to center field by Benito Santiago. Van Slyke fielded the ball and made a strong, one-hop throw to catcher Junior Ortiz, who was bowled over by Kruk but held onto the ball.

San Franciso 9, Chicago 0--Terry Mulholland threw a six-hitter for his first major league shutout and complete game and scored two runs himself to lead the Giants at San Francisco.

Mulholland (1-0), who the Giants recalled from their triple-A affiliate in Phoenix Sunday to replace the injured Mike Krukow, struck out 2 and walked 1 in his first major league start since September, 1986.

Montreal 4, Houston 3--Luis Rivera tripled home Tom Foley in the 11th inning, leading the Expos past the Astros at Houston.

The loss was Houston’s seventh in eight games, and it dropped the Astros below .500 for the first time this year at 41-42. The Expos won for the fifth time in six games and improved their record in extra-inning games to 11-4.

Foley led off the inning by doubling off Dave Smith (3-5). One out later, Rivera lined a ball down the right-field line, just out of the reach of Kevin Bass.

Montreal’s Andres Galarraga, the league’s leading hitter, went 2 for 5 to extend his hitting streak to 9 games. Galarraga has 18 hits in his last 26 at-bats. Teammate Hubie Brooks hit a solo home run in the seventh for the 500th RBI.

Jeff Parrett (8-2) pitched 1 innings of relief for the victory.

Atlanta 10, Philadelphia 5--Gerald Perry’s run-scoring double keyed a five-run sixth inning as the Braves were able to overcome 17 hits by the Phillies at Atlanta.

With the score tied, 4-4, Ron Gant opened the sixth with a double off reliever Bruce Ruffin (5-7) and scored when Perry doubled for his third hit.

After Dale Murphy was walked intentionally, Ken Griffey singled to load the bases. Andres Thomas followed with a run-scoring single, and Murphy also scored when center fielder Bob Dernier overran the ball for an error. Dion James’ groundout and Bruce Benedict’s double drove in the final two runs of the inning.