National League Roundup : Some Like It Hot: Reds’ Davis Warms to Occasion Again, Swats Padres

It was June before the Cincinnati Reds’ Eric Davis really started to hit last season. His furious finish enabled the slugger to have another solid season.

He started hitting a little earlier this season and cruised into June on a hitting spree.

Davis hit a three-run home run to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning of the Reds’ 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on a rainy Saturday night in Cincinnati.

Davis became the first Red in 30 years to hit for the cycle Friday night when he also hit a three-run home run. In the last five games, he is 11 for 18 with three doubles in addition to his two homers and has driven in 10 runs.

“After June 1 last season he was the best player in the league,” Red Manager Pete Rose said. “I hope he’s a warm-weather ballplayer. He was last year. I hope history repeats.

“If you look at his stats, he’s been swinging the bat well the last week and a half----since it started to get warm.”

Last season, Davis batted .220 the first two months of the season. But after June 1 he hit .300 in 91 games with 20 home runs and 70 runs batted in.

Davis, who has missed 15 games because of a hamstring injury, has raised his average from .217 to .298.

Play was delayed because of rain for 23 minutes in the bottom of the seventh, but that didn’t affect Rick Mahler (7-5). He went the distance, giving up nine hits.

San Francisco 4, Atlanta 0--Manager Roger Craig of the West Division-leading Giants figures that if Kevin Mitchell played all of his home games in Atlanta, he would already have 30 home runs this season.

As a visitor to the league’s best hitter’s park, Mitchell hit his third home run in two games this weekend, giving him a major leagues-leading total of 18.

After Will Clark singled, Mitchell, who appeared to be trying merely to meet the ball with two strikes on him, homered to left-center field.

“I didn’t hit it that well,” said Mitchell, who also leads the majors in runs batted in with 53. “I thought it might get to the wall, but you never know here.”

The victory was costly for the Giants, however. Already hurting for pitching, they lost starter Don Robinson after three innings because of a hip injury. Atlee Hammaker (5-3) was sharp in relief against the light-hitting Braves.

St. Louis 6, Chicago 5--The Cardinals’ luck, which has been mostly bad this season, took a turn for the better in the 10th inning at St. Louis.

Manager Whitey Herzog received permission from team doctors to use Tom Pagnozzi, a backup catcher who has had a shoulder injury, as a pinch-hitter. Pagnozzi hit a long sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, and the Cardinals ended a five-game losing streak.

The Cardinals had to win it twice. Reliever Ken Dayley was protecting a 5-4 lead and retired the first two Cubs in the ninth. But Mitch Webster, who had not hit a home run all season, tied the score with a home run to left field.

New York 9, Pittsburgh 3--Howard Johnson hit a home run and drove in three runs at New York as the Mets ended their hitting slump.

Darryl Strawberry, who missed Friday’s game because of back spasms, hit his 12th home run to help the Mets win their third game in a row. Ten of Strawberry’s home runs have come with nobody on base.

Ron Darling, given the benefit of the Mets’ biggest scoring output since May 10, gave up eight hits and pitched his first complete game.

Montreal 7, Philadelphia 5--The Phillies’ recently retired Mike Schmidt threw out the first ball at Philadelphia, but it didn’t help as the Phillies lost their 10th in a row.

Kevin Gross (6-3), a former Philly, left in the ninth inning with one out, the bases loaded and a 7-1 lead. The Phillies scored four runs before Tim Burke shut down the rally.

Andres Galarraga’s eighth home run of the season sparked a four-run seventh inning for Montreal after Mike Maddux retired the first two Expos. Hubie Brooks and Mike Fitzgerald drove in runs before Galarraga’s homer.