National League Roundup : Dry Spell Continues for Mets in 4-1 Loss to Giants, Krukow

The New York Mets’ offensive drought continued at San Francisco Thursday on their way to a 4-1 defeat to the San Francisco Giants.

After being shut out by the Giants, 4-0, Wednesday, the Mets fell behind, 4-0, again before scoring in the ninth for their first run in 19 innings.

With the 4-1 defeat, the Mets’ first-place lead in the East dropped to 4 games over the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were idle.

Mike Krukow (7-4) beat New York for the third time this season and increased his career record against the Mets to 20-7. Krukow gave up four hits in six innings, struck out a season-high seven and hit a run-scoring double.

“I threw differently today than I did the first two times against the Mets this year,” Krukow said. “If you’re predictable against that team, they’ll kick your butt.”

Roger Samuels pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Giants before Scott Garrelts came in for his 11th save, as San Francisco held the Mets to five hits.

Bob Ojeda (8-12) gave up seven hits and four runs in four innings.

“There was a time when we knew we were the best,” Ojeda said. “The easiest thing for us to do is lose confidence in ourselves but we won’t. We can’t let that feeling overcome us. We’ve got to be better than that.”

St. Louis 2, Houston 1--Tom Brunansky tripled home a run and snapped a sixth-inning tie with a home run off Mike Scott to give the Cardinals all the runs they needed at St. Louis.

Bob Forsch (7-4) yielded four hits, walked three and struck out two over seven innings in his longest outing of the season. Scott (13-4) allowed six hits, walked two and struck out six over seven innings.

The Astros fell to 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West.

Former Dodger Pedro Guerrero went 1 for 3 for the Cardinals.

Cincinnati 9, Chicago 1--Eric Davis hit his 22nd home run and drove in five runs to help Danny Jackson become the National League’s first 17-game winner in a game at Cincinnati.

Jackson (17-5) won his seventh straight decision in his 11th complete game, most in the NL. He allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked one. He is 10-1 at Riverfront Stadium with victories in eight consecutive home decisions.

Davis hit a two-run home run off Jamie Moyer (6-12), and drove in three runs off Frank DiPino with a double and a single. It was Davis’ first five-RBI game of the season.

Cincinnati has won 7 of its last 10 games.

San Diego 5, Montreal 4--Carmelo Martinez singled with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth inning to give the Padres a sweep of a three-game series against the Expos at San Diego.

The Expos’ Tim Burke (3-3) intentionally walked Roberto Alomar and Tony Gwynn to get to Martinez, who responded with a ground-ball single to center field to score pinch-runner Stan Jefferson from third base.

Montreal tied the score, 4-4, in the top of the inning against Lance McCullers (2-6) when Andres Galarraga hit his second two-run homer of the game. It was Galarraga’s first two-homer game. Of his 24 home runs this season, 15 have either tied the score or put the Expos ahead.

Galarraga’s first home run came in the second inning and gave the Expos a 2-0 lead. Galarraga had just one home run since July 15 and was 2 for his last 19 at-bats.

The Padres, who scored their first run in the second, took a 4-2 lead with three runs in the sixth, capped by Dickie Thon’s two-out, two-run double.

The loss was the fifth straight for Montreal.