National League Roundup : Astros’ Scott Has Howe Pacing Way to Victory

Houston Manager Art Howe felt like an expectant father as he watched his starter, Mike Scott, pitch Friday night.

Scott pitched a perfect game until the seventh inning and lost his no-hitter in the eighth, but he held on for his third career one-hitter as the Astros scored a 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh at Houston.

“You don’t start thinking no-hitter until the later innings, but by then I was like an expectant father,” Howe said.

Scott (6-2) had to settle for becoming the fifth pitcher to throw a one-hitter this year.

Glenn Wilson, reportedly on the way to Houston in a trade last week, lined a single through the infield, leading off the eighth, to break up Scott’s no-hitter.

Scott retired the first 19 batters before he walked Rafael Belliard with one out in the seventh to lose his perfect game.

Chicago 8, Cincinnati 2--Manager Don Zimmer was ejected, but he wasn’t complaining. He won the fourth-inning argument and it helped the Cubs win at Cincinnati.

With the Reds leading, 2-0, the Cubs opened the fourth with Ryne Sandberg singling and Lloyd McClendon walking. Damon Berryhill, the next batter, hit a grounder toward third with the runners moving. Third baseman Chris Sabo, moving to cover the bag, dived back to his left and missed the grounder, which then hit Sandberg on the leg, several feet behind Sabo.

Umpire Bob Engel immediately called Sandberg out for interference and drew a 10-minute argument from Zimmer.

Eventually, the ruling was overturned, Sandberg was allowed to stay at third and Berryhill was given an infield hit.

Vance Law followed with a two-run double.

The crux of Zimmer’s argument was that Sandberg didn’t interfere with Sabo because the ball had already passed the third baseman.

“The third baseman was in front of the bag, and he dives for the ball,” Zimmer said. “If he dives for the ball and it then hits the runner, he’s not out.”

The infield hit for Berryhill was one of his four hits Friday night.

The Reds activated outfielder Eric Davis from the 15-day disabled list and put him back in the starting lineup.

New York 3, San Francisco 2--Two nights after the Mets lost a one-run game to the Dodgers on a bases-loaded walk with two out in the 10th inning, they won one the same way.

Darryl Strawberry, whose sixth-inning homer made the score 2-2, drew four consecutive balls from Rich Gossage to force in Len Dykstra with the winning run at New York.

Giant starter Don Robinson recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the sixth inning when he fanned Howard Johnson. The next batter was Strawberry, who homered for the third time in four games.

Atlanta 3, St. Louis 2--Andres Thomas’ run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning gave the Braves a victory at Atlanta.

Gerald Perry singled with two outs off St. Louis reliever Dan Quisenberry (1-1). Dale Murphy was intentionally walked, before Thomas, who had three hits, drove in Perry with a single to left center, ending Atlanta’s three-game losing streak.

Atlanta’s Lonnie Smith was forced to leave the game in the second inning with a bruised right ankle suffered when he ran into a fence while chasing a foul pop-up.

San Diego 8, Philadelphia 2--Benito Santiago went 4 for 5 and drove in three runs at Philadelphia as the Padres won their fourth straight. It was the first four-hit game of Santiago’s career.

San Diego starter Ed Whitson (6-2) got his fourth straight victory.