National League Roundup : Don’t Get Sore: Mitchell Back With 2 Homers

Last week, Kevin Mitchell’s hands were so sore he had to take a night off. His home run stroke suffered.

The soreness was gone by Friday night, and the major leagues’ home run leader hit two more at Atlanta to help Rick Reuschel become the first 10-game winner in the majors.

The Braves hammered Reuschel for nine hits and four runs, chasing him in the seventh inning, but they fell short as the San Francisco Giants won, 7-6.

Rich Gossage, continuing his comeback with the Giants, came to the rescue. After Craig Lefferts gave up a two-run home run to Andres Thomas in the ninth, the lead was only a run.

Gossage walked Dion James but got Ron Gant on a fly to center and Geronimo Berroa on strikes for his third save. The clutch pitching enabled Reuschel, who recently turned 40, to extend his winning streak to seven games. His record is 10-2.

Mitchell got his home runs off Tom Glavine (5-2). He hit a two-run shot in the third inning to put the leaders of the West in front to stay.

In the fifth, he hit a 440-foot blast that sent Glavine to the showers.

“I’ve had to start swinging softly, because the hands hurt,” Mitchell said. “But maybe I’ve been swinging too hard, anyhow.”

One of the concessions Mitchell has made to the tenderness in his hands has been to stop taking batting practice.

“I think maybe I was taking too much batting,” he said.

With 17 home runs, Mitchell is now only five away from his career high in 1987.

New York 3, Pittsburgh 2--Victories do not come easily these days for the Mets. In this victory at New York, only the third in their last 13 games, it appeared they had lost.

A pinch single by Glenn Wilson in the top of the 11th gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

Then, against new Pirate bullpen ace Randy Kramer in the bottom of the inning, Dave Magadan hit a two-run home run with one out to pull out the victory.

Montreal 2, Philadelphia 1--The Phillies are not likely to soon forget the final play of Chris James as their third baseman.

With two out in the top of the 13th inning and a runner on third, Andres Galarraga hit a bounder down the third-base line. James, normally an outfielder, made the stop but couldn’t make a play at first, and the winning run scored.

Immediately after the game in Philadelphia, James went to San Diego in a trade for a third baseman, Randy Ready.

Chicago 5, St. Louis 2--Rick Sutcliffe pitched a solid seven innings at St. Louis, and the Cubs won for the 12th time in their last 16 games.

Sutcliffe (7-3), in winning his third in a row, had the Cardinals shut out until he needed relief in the eighth.

The Cardinals, losers of five straight, also lost another pitcher. Joe Magrane had to leave with one out in the seventh because of a bruised index finger on his left hand.