National League Roundup : Bonds Sparks Pirates Despite Knee Problem

Barry Bonds, the left fielder of the Pittsburgh Pirates, needs arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. It can wait, though; there’s a pennant race going on.

Bonds had a cortisone shot in Pittsburgh before Friday night’s game with the San Francisco Giants, then went out and hit a home run and a two-run double to lead the Pirates to an 8-5 victory.

The victory moved the Pirates within 2 1/2 games of the New York Mets in the tightening Eastern race and dropped the Giants five games behind the Dodgers in the West.

Bobby Bonilla hit his 18th home run after a double by Andy Van Slyke. It broke a 5-5 tie in the fifth inning and led the Pirates to their seventh victory in a row.

Bonds limped off the field after going 2 for 3 in the Pirates’ win Thursday night, so it was decided the knee should be drained.

The fluid contained some blood, and doctors said it indicated cartilage damage. Surgery would sideline Bonds, who leads the league with 66 runs scored, for more than a month.

“The knee hurts,” Bonds said after hitting his 16th home run in the first inning. It was the 13th time in three seasons that he had led off a game with a home run. “They say it won’t get any better but that it shouldn’t get any worse. I may need surgery, but it’ll have to wait until the season ends.

“I may have to take an occasional day off, but we think we can catch the Mets and, as long as I’m contributing, I want to play.

“Actually, I think I’ll be all right as long as I don’t slide.”

The bullpen came through once again for the Pirates. Thursday night starter John Smiley had to come out after one inning with a hand injury, and relievers held the Giants scoreless for eight innings.

In this one, Bob Walk gave up five runs in 3 innings, but Bob Kipper and Jim Gott shut out the Giants the rest of the way. Kipper, who had not pitched more than two innings in any previous outing this season, gave up only a walk in 3 innings to even his record at 2-2.

Atlanta 4, New York 3--At the All-Star break left-hander Randy Myers of the Mets was the best relief pitcher in the league. He had 13 saves, an earned-run average of 1.25 and was 5-0.

Manager Davey Johnson and his teammates pointed out the injustice when he wasn’t selected for the National League All-Star staff.

He started the second half by saving Thursday night’s wild 9-8 game.

But Friday night in Atlanta, Dale Murphy got to him after Myers had held the Braves scoreless in the ninth with the scored tied, 3-3.

To start the 10th, Myers faced Murphy, generally one of the top hitters in the league but now batting only .217. He unloaded on a Myers’ fastball for his 15th home run to give the Braves the win.

“I’m trying to do something,” said Murphy after hitting his second home run in two games. “I’m trying to be more productive than I was in the first half.”

Darryl Strawberry’ 22nd home run came off Atlanta reliever Bruce Sutter to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Earlier, Kevin McReynolds, who had five hits Thursday night, hit his 13th home run for the Mets.

San Diego 7, St. Louis 3--It may have gone unnoticed because the Padres aren’t going anywhere, but Tony Gwynn is stroking the ball the way he did last season.

Gwynn, who won the batting title with a .370 average, struggled around .250 for half of this season.

He is hot now. In this game at St. Louis, Gwynn singled with the bases loaded in the ninth to drive in two runs, break a 3-3 tie and send the slumping Cardinals to their eighth consecutive defeat.

Gwynn, a left-handed hitter, got the game-winning hit off Ken Dayley, the left-handed relief ace of the Cardinals.

It gave the right fielder 3 hits in 5 at-bats with 4 RBIs. It also raised his average to .287, his highest of the season.

Mark Davis pitched three shutout innings to gain the victory.

Houston 5, Philadelphia 2--Glenn Davis rates Kevin Gross as one of the premier pitchers in the National League. So, there was extra satisfaction when the Astros’ first baseman hit a three-run homer off the Phillies’ ace in the third inning at Philadelphia.

Davis hit a cut fastball for his 19th home run to get the Astros off to a fast start in the second half. It was their fifth victory in a row and capped a four-run rally, which began after Gross retired the first two batters in the inning.

Jim Deshaies gave up just three hits in six innings to improve his record to 6-6.

Cincinnati 6, Montreal 3--It took an error in the seventh inning for the Reds to end a scoreless streak of 16 innings at Montreal, but there was nothing tainted about the way they ended the Expos’ eight-game winning streak.

Eric Davis hit a high breaking pitch from bullpen ace Jeff Parrett (10-3) for a three-run home run in the eighth inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead.

It also gave Jose Rijo a 10-4 record. Rijo gave up three hits and one earned run in seven innings.