National League Roundup : Snubbed Giants State Their Cases

San Francisco’s Brett Butler and Robby Thompson, passed over for the National League All-Star team earlier in the day, took out their disappointment on hard-luck Pittsburgh starter John Smiley.

Thompson hit a tying home run in the eighth, and Butler followed with a game-winning homer with two outs in the 10th Thursday night as the Giants beat the Pirates, 2-1, at Pittsburgh

Giants Manager Roger Craig joked that Tommy Lasorda, the NL All-Star manager, deserved some credit for the victory since he left both players off the team.

Thompson, passed up as a second base reserve along with Houston’s Bill Doran for Willie Randolph of Lasorda’s Dodgers, is batting .276 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs. Butler, an outfielder, is hitting .293 with three homers and 21 RBIs.

“I’m disappointed, but I’ll try it again next year,” Thompson said. “I was just glad we finally got to Smiley, because he’s been awful tough on us. Every now and then, little guys like us have a little pop in our bats, too. Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark can’t always do it.”

Butler wasn’t as disappointed about his own All-Star slight as he was for Thompson, who has helped the Giants to a 1 1/2-game lead over Houston in the NL West.

“The guys were ragging Robby that maybe he should call Lasorda,” Butler said. “My chances of making the game were slim, and I’m more concerned about helping our team win games.”

Butler, who had tried to bunt earlier in the at-bat, hit a three-one pitch off the top of the right field wall.

“How far it is out there, 345 feet?” Butler said. “Well, I hit it 345 1/2.”

Smiley, a 1-0 loser to Tim Leary of Los Angeles in his last start on Saturday, allowed seven hits in 10 innings, the first time he has pitched past the ninth in his career. He is 0-2 in his last two starts despite allowing only three runs in 18 2/3 innings.

“We can’t keep wasting this kind of pitching, but our offense just hasn’t been good,” Pirates Manager Jim Leyland said. “You know when it’s Smiley pitching against Rick Reuschel that runs are going to be hard to come by, so you have to be a little hungry.”

Reuschel, who lost to Smiley, 1-0, on April 28 in Pittsburgh, allowed a run and seven hits in seven innings before Jeff Brantley (3-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his third victory in eight days.

Craig Lefferts pitched a perfect 10th for his 15th save in as many opportunities.

The Pirates scored in the second after Gary Redus tripled on a long drive that fell out of Butler’s glove as he braced himself before running into the center field wall.

Glenn Wilson bounced out to Reuschel, but Mike LaValliere, activated Tuesday after 2 1/2 months on the disabled list, singled into right to score Redus.

The Giants threatened in the third and seventh but couldn’t get to Smiley, who has a 1.82 career ERA against the Giants.

Reuschel lined a sharply hit single to right with two out in the third, but was safe only when right fielder Glenn Wilson’s throw sailed over first baseman Redus’ head. Butler beat out a single to first, putting runners on first and second, but Smiley got Thompson on a fly to left.

Candy Maldonado doubled to right with one out in the seventh, but Smiley struck out pinch-hitter Bill Bathe and got Jose Uribe to ground out.

Cincinnati 10, New York 2--Danny Jackson, just off the disabled list, was sharp, rookie David West was not, and the Reds breezed to victory in New York.

Jackson (6-9) held the Mets to three hits in six innings. West, counted on to take up some of the slack after the injury to Dwight Gooden, gave up seven runs in four innings.

Luis Quinones, batting only .213, hit two home runs off West, and Rolando Roomes hit a two-run homer.

Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 0--Left-hander Bruce Ruffin had a 7.89 earned-run average going into the game at Atlanta. In his best outing in a long time, he got all but one out in the shutout victory.

Dwayne Murphy hit a two-run home run in a four-run sixth inning that enabled Ruffin to improve his record to 2-3.