National League Roundup : Giants Cut Down Maddux’s Win Streak, 12-2

The San Francisco Giants are eighth in the National League in batting and fifth in runs scored. But they have developed a habit of jumping on pitchers with long winning streaks.

With Will Clark getting three hits, including his 21st home run, the Giants pounded Greg Maddux and the Cubs, 12-2, Wednesday at Chicago.

Maddux, the winningest pitcher in the National League, had a 9-game winning streak and a 15-3 record going into the game. But he gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings, his shortest stint of the season. His earned-run average rose from 2.13 to 2.33.

It was the fourth time this season that the Giants, who trail the Dodgers by six games in the West, had ended a long winning streak. Previously, they stopped eight-game streaks by Jose Rijo of the Cincinnati Reds and Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets, as well as a seven-game streak by Rick Mahler of the Atlanta Braves.

Not one of the four made it through the seventh. The Giants pounded both Gooden and Mahler for 10 hits and 5 runs in 6 innings. They had five hits and four runs off Rijo when he left after six innings.

Maddux, who had not lost since May 17, accepted the blame.

“I got a lot of pitches up,” he said. “When you face hitters like Clark and (Kevin) Mitchell, you can’t get away with it.”

Kelly Downs (9-8) limited the Cubs to six hits and two runs in seven innings, struck out six and walked none. Giant Manager Roger Craig compared him to Maddux.

“In my opinion, Downs can be just as good as Maddux,” Craig said. “Maddux is an outstanding pitcher in his own right. But Kelly has great ability. Had we gotten him some runs in other games, his record would be much better than 9-8.”

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first, but Maddux walked Downs with one-out in the first to lead to his own downfall. Brett Butler beat out a bunt, and with two out, Clark singled in the tying run. Kevin Mitchell doubled home two more runs.

Craig said Butler missed a hit-and-run sign on his bunt. “It was the key play of the game,” Craig deadpanned.

Houston 3, Montreal 2--Rafael Ramirez and Terry Puhl hit home runs to lead the Astros in completing a sweep of the three-game series with the once-hot Expos.

The Expos, who had won seven in a row before the All-Star game, have lost four straight and five of their last seven.

Jim Deshaies (7-6) needed help from Juan Agosto and Larry Andersen. Deshaies gave up seven hits in six innings. Andersen gave up none in the last 2 innings to get his fourth save.

Pittsburgh 3, San Diego 2--The Pirates couldn’t stop hot-hitting Tony Gwynn at Pittsburgh, but they managed to win and move within a game of first place in the East.

Bob Walk (11-4) gave up a single, double and triple to Gwynn, but the Pirate starter tied his career high by earning his 11th victory. It was also the Pirates’ 11th win in their last 12 games.

Gwynn has hit safely in 15 consecutive games. In 12 of them, he had two or more hits. After a terrible start, the 1987 batting champion has finally moved past .300. During his consecutive-game hitting streak, he is batting .508.

Walk gave up nine hits before giving way to Bob Kipper, after Roberto Alomar opened the eighth with a double. Kipper got Gwynn on a fly ball, and Jim Gott came on to get the last five outs.

Junior Ortiz hit a two-run double to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth.

Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 3--Juan Samuel hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning at Philadelphia to break a 2-2 tie and give the Phillies their third win in a row.

Steve Bedrosian, who missed the first seven weeks of the season because of illness, pitched a hitless ninth, striking out two, to get his 18th save.

Don Carman (6-5) went seven innings for the win. He even singled in the fifth inning, after going 0 for 52 during the past two seasons.

The start of the game was delayed 68 minutes by rain.