National League Roundup : Now He Sees It, Now We Don’t: Giants’ Mitchell Continues Slugging Tear

Time was, you could pitch around Will Clark and take your chances with the rest of the San Francisco Giants. Kevin Mitchell has changed that.

Mitchell hit his 10th home run of the season, tops in the majors, to lead the Giants to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday in San Francisco.

“I’ve never seen a guy go through what Mitch is going through,” Clark said. “You see it for a week. But not for a two-month stretch. He’s done it since the start of spring training.

“He’s not just hitting the ball hard, he’s crushing it.”

Mitchell, who also leads the majors with 32 runs batted in, hit a two-run homer in the third inning off Randy Kramer (0-1) to break a 1-1 tie.

It was the fourth home run in three games for Mitchell, who improved his average to .306. Mitchell hit a career-high 19 home runs last season in 505 at-bats.

“I’m relaxed and feel good at the plate,” Mitchell said. “I’m just trying to hit the ball hard, where it’s pitched. I’m seeing it well and hitting it.”

Mike Krukow (1-0) pitched the first five innings for his first victory since Aug. 18.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Bret Butler singled, stole second and scored on Clark’s single.

Bobby Bonilla’s 412-foot drive off the upper deck in right field tied the score in the second.

Clark, batting .369, led off the third with a single, and Mitchell hit a 409-foot homer to center field.

Chicago 4, San Diego 0--Mike Bielecki pitched a five-hitter, and Andre Dawson went 4 for 4, including two triples, as the Cubs won at San Diego.

Bielecki (2-1) walked one and struck out four in getting the first shutout of his career. It was his first complete game since Sept. 15, 1987, and only the third of his career.

San Diego’s Walt Terrell (3-3) gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out four in six innings.

Dawson, who scored three runs, tripled in the second and fourth innings, scoring both times on grounders by Mark Grace.

Damon Berryhill hit a two-run single for the Cubs in the sixth.

New York 3, Cincinnati 2--Howard Johnson homered off reliever Rob Dibble (3-1) with one out in the 10th inning at New York, and the Mets beat the Reds for their ninth victory in 11 games.

It was the first loss for the Reds in five extra-inning games and the first victory for New York in three overtime games this season.

Winner Randy Myers (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief. Ron Darling went 8 1/3 innings for the Mets, giving up six hits and two runs before leaving because of a slight muscle pull in his left leg.

Houston 5, Montreal 4--Bill Doran hit a home run with one out in the 10th inning, and the Astros beat the Expos at Montreal.

Joe Hesketh (3-1) struck out Rafael Ramirez to start the 10th before Doran’s homer. Houston’s Danny Darwin (3-1) pitched a scoreless ninth, and Dave Smith retired the side in the 10th for his fifth save.

Andres Galarraga hit a two-run homer off Bob Knepper in the first inning. Then the Expos made the score 4-0 in the second when Damaso Garcia scored on a passed ball and Tim Raines hit a run-scoring double.

The Astros rallied and eventually tied the score on a sacrifice fly by Glenn Davis in the eighth.

Atlanta 3, Philadelphia 0--Tom Glavine pitched a two-hitter for his second shutout of the season as the Braves defeated the Phillies at Atlanta.

Glavine (4-0) walked none and struck out two. He retired the last 13 he faced to record his third complete game of the season. Darren Daulton tripled with two out in the fifth, and Tommy Herr had an infield single in the fourth for the only Phillie hits.

The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Ron Gant homered against Mike Maddux (1-1). Atlanta scored twice in the seventh on Jeff Treadway’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Maddux.