National League Roundup : Cardinals’ Terry a Hit at Plate, a Winner on Mound

Pitcher Scott Terry of the St. Louis Cardinals, a former minor league outfielder, showed Thursday at St. Louis that he still feels comfortable at the plate.

While winning his third consecutive decision, the 29-year-old right-hander went three for three, hitting a three-run homer, a double and a single as the Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants, 10-1.

“I’ve always enjoyed hitting,” said Terry, who was an everyday player in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization for 3 1/2 seasons.

Terry lowered his earned-run average to 1.80, giving up eight hits in eight innings while striking out two and walking one, and raised his batting average to .231.

Terry, who hit 12 home runs for Class-A Cedar Rapids in 1982, hit his first major league home run in the sixth inning off reliever Joe Price, clearing the 414-foot mark in center field. Jose Oquendo and Tony Pena were on base at the time and gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.

It caught Terry unprepared.

“It really didn’t dawn on me that I had homered until everyone in the dugout was calling, ‘Curtain call! Curtain call!’ ” he said.

Terry emerged from the dugout to acknowledge the cheers of a crowd of 30,825.

“It felt real funny and I didn’t want to do it,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done it, and it’ll probably be the last.”

Terry lost a shutout in the eighth when Will Clark singled with two out and scored on a double by Kevin Mitchell, who had three extra-base hits.

San Diego 8, Pittsburgh 1--Carmelo Martinez hit a grand slam and Ed Whitson allowed six hits over eight innings as the Padres completed a three-game sweep at Pittsburgh.

The last time the Padres swept a three-game series at Pittsburgh was in August, 1980.