National League Roundup : Eric Davis Has Been Quite a Philadelphia Story

If Eric Davis really wants a change of scenery, perhaps he should consider Philadelphia.

Davis, who has talked of returning to his home in Los Angeles when he becomes a free agent, continued his run of success in Veterans Stadium Sunday with a two-run homer in the ninth inning that gave the Cincinnati Reds a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I can’t explain it,” Davis said. “Some parks you feel good in, some you don’t. I happen to feel real comfortable here.

“It was a fastball outside. I got my arms extended and hit the ball out.”

In just over three seasons in the majors, Davis has hit 18 home runs against the Phillies, 13 of them in Veterans Stadium.

Davis’ game-winner to right field came off reliever Steve Bedrosian, who replaced Larry McWilliams (1-1) after pinch-hitter Dave Collins walked to start the ninth.

Bedrosian retired two batters and went to a full count on Davis before the homer.

“I didn’t do the job again,” said Bedrosian, who gave up a game-winning home run for the third time this season. “I felt I was throwing good. That’s what makes it so tough.”

Rob Dibble (3-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the Reds and John Franco pitched the ninth for his eighth save in eight opportunities.

The Reds had a 3-1 lead, but the Phillies got even in the sixth inning when Tommy Herr singled and Von Hayes followed with his second homer of the game and seventh of the season. It was the eighth time Hayes has hit two homers in a game.

Mike Schmidt followed with a double and went to third on a single by Chris James. Kent Tekulve relieved Tom Browning and struck out Ricky Jordan while James was stealing second.

Dickie Thon also struck out, and after Steve Lake walked to load the bases, Norm Charlton came in to retire Bob Dernier on a pop up.

Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Paul O’Neill singled with two out and Ken Griffey hit his first home run of the season.

Hayes homered in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1.

Cincinnati went ahead, 3-1, in the sixth when Kal Daniels led off with a double, took third on Barry Larkin’s single and scored on O’Neill’s sacrifice fly.

Houston 7, New York 6--Mike Scott wasn’t around for the finish at Houston, but he beat the Mets for the first time in the regular season since May 16, 1985, as the Astros snapped New York’s six-game winning streak.

Scott (4-1) left the game with a 7-3 lead after five innings when his left hamstring tightened. He struck out six, allowing five hits and three unearned runs. Scott, acquired by Houston from New York in 1982, entered the game with a 2-7 record against the Mets.

The Astros roughed up David Cone (2-2) for seven runs, five earned, in 2 1/3 innings--the shortest stint of his career as a starter. Kevin Bass and Terry Puhl each had two-run triples for Houston.

Chicago 7, San Diego 3--Curt Wilkerson doubled and tripled, scored two runs and drove in another as the Cubs turned back the Padres at Chicago.

Wilkerson doubled to spark a two-run first inning against Eric Show (4-2). He tripled home a run in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch by Show.

Scott Sanderson (2-2) allowed two runs in the first inning and then retired 18 of the next 19 Padres before Mark Parent hit a home run with two out in the seventh. Sanderson allowed five hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out four.

Montreal 9, Atlanta 6--Otis Nixon hit a three-run double and Spike Owen added his first National League homer as the Expos completed a three-game sweep at Montreal, sending the Braves to a sixth straight defeat.

Hubie Brooks also had a home run to help Brian Holman (1-0) win his first start of the season. Holman pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits. Gene Harris went 2 1/3 innings and Tim Burke finished for his sixth save, getting out of a bases loaded, no-out jam in the ninth.

Derek Lilliquist (1-2) drove in a run with his first major league hit to put Atlanta ahead in the second, but the Expos scored four times in the bottom of the inning. One run scored when third baseman Ron Gant made a throwing error on Holman’s two-out infield single, and Nixon’s double made it 4-1.

Pittsburgh 11, San Francisco 1--Steve Carter’s first major-league home run sparked a four-run first and Bobby Bonilla hit two run-scoring doubles as the Pirates trounced the Giants at Pittsburgh.

Bob Walk (2-2) allowed four hits in going the distance to beat former teammate Don Robinson, who lasted just two-plus innings in his first career start against the team he played for from 1978-87.

The Pirates, who lost four of their previous five games, chased Robinson (1-2) in the third on Bonilla’s second run-scoring double. Bonilla hit a third double in the eighth and scored on Junior Ortiz’s sacrifice fly.