National League Roundup : Mahler Gets His Sixth Win for Cincinnati, 7-2

Rick Mahler never has been overpowering and he has a tendency to fade when the weather gets hot and humid. But in the cool of the spring, Mahler has been one of the most successful pitchers in the National League.

For 10 years, from 1979 through 1988, he usually helped get the Atlanta Braves off to a good start.

Mahler is now doing the same for the Cincinnati Reds, who signed the 35-year-old right-hander as a free agent last December.

Mahler pitched an eight-hitter Sunday at Cincinnati and, with Eric Davis getting four hits and driving in three runs, breezed to a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Mahler, who was the victim of poor defense in his first two starts, improved his record to 6-4. He has won five of his last six starts and has pitched three complete games.

Mahler also helped his own cause with a bunt single to trigger a four-run fourth inning that gave the Reds a 4-0 lead.

Mike Bielecki (3-2) picked up Mahler’s bunt and threw it away, allowing two runs to score.

Mahler has two shutouts and has impressed Cincinnati Manager Pete Rose, who originally planned to use the 35-year-old Mahler as a long reliever and only an occasional starter.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Rose said. “You can learn a lot about the game of pitching from watching him. He’s a master when he pitches like he has lately. He has one of the better ERAs and I like to watch him. He makes them earn what they get.”

The Braves gave up on Mahler because they are committed to a youth movement that is going quite well. Last season, in posting a 9-16 record, he gave up more hits (279) and runs (125) than any other pitcher in the league.

“I feel I’m pitching better than I did my last two seasons with the Braves,” Mahler said. “When the breaking ball is working for me, I often get a lot of strikeouts.”

San Francisco 10, New York 6--The problem for the Mets, who were expecting to run away with the East, has been their inability to score runs. For the most part, the pitching and defense have been adequate.

But in this game at New York, that wasn’t the case.

The Mets gave Sid Fernandez a quick 4-1 lead, then the Giants, taking advantage of a two-out throwing error by shortstop Kevin Elster, scored six runs in the seventh inning.

Terry Kennedy’s bases-loaded pinch double was the big blow in the inning.

The Mets were leading, 5-4, when Roger McDowell took over with one out in the seventh and one on.

With two out, Will Clark singled to tie the game and Kevin Mitchell also singled. Ken Obkerfell grounded to short, but Elster’s throw was high and the Giants were rolling.

Mitchell, who hit his major league-leading 14th home run in the second, had three other hits.

“I don’t know where we would be without Mitchell,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said. “We’d probably be in last place or pretty close. He’s had stretches where he’s carried us. We just went along for the ride.”

Pittsburgh 17, Houston 5--Could it be the hitters are finally ready to meet the challenge of the National League pitchers?

The Pirates, who have had more troubles with the pitchers than most teams, had 18 hits in this game at Houston.

Andy Van Slyke, recently returned from a rib cage injury, had four hits, including his first home run.

Bobby Bonilla also homered and the Pirates gave Neal Heaton (1-4) his first win since last July, although he lasted only five innings.

St. Louis 6, Atlanta 1--The Cardinals and Braves were tied 1-1 after nine innings at Atlanta before a throwing error by third baseman Ron Gant helped the Cardinals score five times in the 10th.

Gant’s error let in the go-ahead run, then Ozzie Smith and Vince Coleman followed with RBI singles and Willie McGee singled in two more.

Philadelphia 3, San Diego 1--Steve Jeltz, who hadn’t homered since 1984, hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning as Philadelphia beat the Padres.

It was only the second homer of the infielder’s career and he had failed to hit one in his previous 1,357 at-bats.