National League Roundup : Mitchell Reloads; Giants Rout Reds, 10-1

Look out, National League. Kevin Mitchell is ready to go on another tear.

Mitchell hit a pair of two-run homers and drove in his 100th run earlier than any player in 10 years as the San Francisco Giants routed the Cincinnati Reds, 10-1, Wednesday at San Francisco.

Mitchell leads the majors with 36 home runs and 100 RBIs. He had hit just three homers since the All-Star break until breaking loose.

“I wasn’t hitting the ball hard,” said Mitchell, who hit homers in the first inning off Rick Mahler (9-11) and the sixth off Norm Charlton. “It didn’t seem like I was doing anything. I just wanted to go out and do better.”

Don Robinson (11-7) pitched a five-hitter for his third consecutive complete game and fourth of the season. No other San Francisco pitcher has more than one complete game this season.

Robinson and Matt Williams also hit homers as the Giants ended a three-game losing streak.

The Giants, outscored by Cincinnati in the first two games of the series, 20-6, scored four runs in the first inning and had a 7-0 lead after three innings.

Will Clark’s run-scoring triple in the second inning made it 5-0 and gave him 83 RBIs, second in the majors behind Mitchell.

The Giants broke a three-game losing streak and protected their National League West lead over Houston.

Chicago 3, Montreal 0--Rick Sutcliffe pitched a one-hitter for seven innings and Ryne Sandberg hit his third homer in three games as the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the second-place Expos at Chicago.

The victory moved the Cubs three games ahead of the Expos in the East and kept them five games ahead of the surging New York Mets.

It was the seventh consecutive loss for the Expos, who had a 7-2 record against the Cubs before this series.

Sutcliffe (12-9) retired 10 consecutive batters after giving up an infield single to Andres Galarraga in the fourth. He was replaced by Mitch Williams who finished to earn his 29th save.

New York 6, Philadelphia 0--The Mets’ pitching apparently is back, with its second consecutive shutout, and so is Darryl Strawberry, who homered for the second consecutive game, as New York defeated the Phillies at Philadelphia.

“We’re coming together at the perfect time,” said Bob Ojeda (8-9) after giving up seven hits in his fourth complete game of the season and third consecutive victory.

Strawberry, who slumped through July, hit a two-run homer, his 25th homer of the season, that capped a five-run fifth inning. Strawberry is 11 for 31 (.355) in August with three home runs, a pair of doubles and nine RBIs.

Gary Carter, who had just 11 hits in 95 at-bats in an injury-interrupted season, went four for four with two doubles and two singles, his first four-hit game since Sept. 23, 1987.

Loser Dennis Cook (5-5) gave up eight hits and six runs in 5 2/3 innings.

St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 2--Joe Magrane pitched a six-hitter to win for the seventh time in his last eight decisions and hit his third career home run, leading the Cardinals past the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Magrane (14-7) joined Mike Scott, Orel Hershiser and Ed Whitson as the league’s only pitchers with at least 14 victories as Pittsburgh lost its 10th in 13 games.

Magrane is 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA and six complete games in his last 13 starts, but said his latest victory was hardly a masterpiece.

“I test my defense to the limit every game, and I did that tonight,” Magrane said. “I’ve always said we have the best defense in the league, and it would be silly not to exploit it.”

San Diego 2, Houston 1--Benito Santiago’s sacrifice fly capped a two-run rally in the ninth inning by the Padres at San Diego.

Mark Portugal shut out the Padres on six hits for eight innngs before he was relieved to start the ninth by Juan Agosto, who gave up a leadoff single to Tony Gwynn.

Dave Smith (1-3), who had blown only two of 24 previous save opportunities, then walked Jack Clark before Chris James sacrificed.

After walks to Carmelo Martinez and Bip Roberts tied the score, Santiago’s fly ball to left won it. Mark Davis (3-3) pitched a hitless ninth.

The loss dropped the Astros two games behind first-place San Francisco in the West.