National League Roundup : Catch Me If You Can: Cardinals’ Coleman Breaks Record

Vince Coleman ran into the record books, but it didn’t help the St. Louis Cardinals beat Bob Walk.

Walk came off the disabled list Saturday and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Cardinals, 5-2, in a game that featured a record-breaking performance by Coleman, who set a major league mark with his 39th consecutive stolen base.

He stole second base in the third inning, breaking the record of 38 set in 1975 by the Dodgers’ Davey Lopes.

“Any time you establish a record it’s great, but when you don’t win it’s not as much fun,” Coleman said. “There’s not much to celebrate.”

Coleman reached base in the third with an infield single off Bob Walk. He stole second on a 3-1 pitch to Milt Thompson, and after Thompson walked, the two runners worked a double steal. It was the seventh time this season that Coleman has stolen second and third in the same inning.

“When you get that close, you don’t want to be denied,” said Coleman, who now has 40 steals in a row.

Walk took his best shot at thwarting Coleman’s pursuit of the record with eight pickoff throws.

Coleman, who leads the league this season with 34 steals, had six at the end of last season. He was last caught on Sept. 15, 1988, in Philadelphia.

With the score 2-2, Barry Bonds doubled off Scott Terry (5-7) with one out in the fifth, moved to third on Jose Lind’s single and scored on Tom Pagnozzi’s passed ball.

The Pirates added two runs in the eighth on Bobby Bonilla’s ninth homer and an RBI triple by Junior Ortiz.

Walk (6-4) pitched for the first time since he suffered a pulled left hamstring on June 8. He gave up two runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

“I was a little nervous tonight,” Walk said. “I didn’t know how the leg would respond and we haven’t been playing that well. I’m a veteran and I felt some responsibility to go out and do well. You don’t want to be the one who gives it up. It was like when I faced Mike Schmidt when he had 499 homers. Pride comes into it.”

Bill Landrum finished the game for his fifth save. Landrum has not given up an earned run in his last 12 appearances, covering 22 2/3 innings.

San Francisco 3, San Diego 1--Will Clark’s two-run triple in the eighth inning off relief ace Mark Davis rallied the Giants past the Padres at San Diego, extending the Giants’ winning streak to seven games.

Don Robinson (7-4) gave up five hits in 8 1/3 innings, and Steve Bedrosian got the last out for his 10th save and fourth as a Giant in four opportunities.

The Padres led, 1-0, when Walt Terrell (4-10) gave up a leadoff single to Brett Butler in the eighth and Robby Thompson followed with a bunt single.

Davis, seeking his 19th save, relieved Terrell with none out, and Clark lined his first pitch down the right-field line to bring in both runners and put the Giants ahead.

After Kevin Mitchell grounded out, pinch-hitter Bill Bathe hit a sacrifice fly to score Clark.

It was the Giants’ 16th come-from-behind victory, but only the second time they have come back when trailing after seven innings.

Houston 5, Atlanta 4--Terry Puhl’s run-scoring single broke an eighth-inning tie, and Mike Scott won his 12th game as the Astros rallied at Atlanta.

Bill Doran hit his seventh homer of the season, off reliever Jose Alvarez (3-3), to lead off the eighth. One out later, Ken Caminiti singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Puhl’s single.

Scott (12-4) gave up four hits and one walk, and struck out three in seven innings. The rally enabled Scott to post his 12th victory at the earliest point in a season ever. His previous earliest date was Aug. 2, 1987.

“It’s still a long way to go,” Scott said of his chase for 20 wins, a total he has missed by two games twice in the last four years.

Larry Andersen pitched one inning, and Dave Smith got the last three outs for his 15th save.

Dale Murphy hit a two-run home run in the third, his first homer since May 3, ending the longest homer drought of his career--169 at-bats. Murphy’s previous longest streak without a home run was through 89 at-bats in 1978.

New York 4, Philadelphia 2--Ron Darling hit his first major league homer and gave up two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings as the Mets scored their third consecutive victory, playing before a sellout Fireworks Night crowd of 48,323 in New York.

Darling (5-5), winning for the first time since June 3, struck out five and walked three. The Mets have won eight of their last 10 games.

“Ron relied on his curve ball too much in the past,” Met Manager Davey Johnson said. “Mackey Sasser worked well with him tonight, and once the fastball seemed to be working, Sasser stayed with it. Philadelphia has been a tough club for Ron, so this has to be a shot in the arm for him. Even though he had a low pitch count when I went and got him, he was tired.”

David West pitched one inning, Don Aase got the last out in the eighth, and Randy Myers took over in the ninth for his 11th save.

Dave Magadan hit his fourth homer of the season and also had a single in four at-bats. Rickey Jordan homered for the Phillies’ first run in the sixth.

Darling’s home run, on a 1-0 pitch, came with two outs in the fourth inning to give New York a 4-0 lead. It came in his 431st at-bat in the majors.

The Mets scored twice in the second on a walk to Gregg Jefferies, a double by Mookie Wilson, Mackey Sasser’s infield out, a walk to Kevin Elster, Darling’s sacrifice and Philadelphia starter Floyd Youmans’ wild pitch. Youmans fell to 1-5.

Montreal 5, Chicago 0--Kevin Gross pitched a three-hitter and drove in a run to spark a five-run fifth inning for the Expos at Chicago.

It was the second shutout of the season and ninth of his career for Gross (7-6). He walked three and struck out six to end a personal three-game losing streak.

Otis Nixon and Rex Hudler each had two-run singles in the fifth off starter Paul Kilgus (5-7).