National League Roundup : Sandberg’s Homer Puts Him in Good Cub Company

When Hack Wilson played for the Chicago Cubs about 60 years ago, he was known as a home run hitter who occasionally made a play in the outfield.

Ryne Sandberg of the current Cub team is known as a solid second baseman who occasionally hits a home run.

The two now share a club record.

When Sandberg hit the home run that helped the Cubs score a 9-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies Friday at Chicago, enabling the Cubs to maintain their 2 1/2-game lead in the National League East, he matched the record of home runs in five consecutive games set by Wilson in July 1928.

It is not likely that Sandberg or any other Cub is going to come close to a couple of Wilson’s other records. In 1930, a year when almost every player in the majors batted over .300, Wilson hit 56 home runs and drove in 190 runs.

In three other seasons, Wilson, who was 5 feet 6 inches and weighed 190 pounds, hit 30 or more home runs.

Sandberg’s high is 26 in 1985.

But Sandberg, who has 22 home runs this season, continues to play a prominent role in the Cubs’ surprising bid for a division title.

“It’s not my style to swing for home runs,” Sandberg said. “I’m swinging for line drives. I’m just lucky enough to hit balls that are going out.”

Greg Maddux (14-8) doesn’t mind if Sandberg, who has six home runs in the last five games and 10 in the last 15, just keeps hitting home runs. Maddux, who gave up just four hits in seven innings, breezed to his eighth victory in his last nine decisions.

The Cubs, who hit only 45 home runs in their first 81 games, have hit 43 in their last 35 games. Andre Dawson, snapping a 3-for-47 slump, hit his 12th home run in the third inning.

Jerorme Walton singled in two runs in the six-run fifth and stretched his hitting streak to 22 games.

St. Louis 3, New York 0--The Mets’ hitters aren’t treating Frank Viola very well.

The left-hander obtained from Minnesota just before the trading deadline was hoping to make a triumphant return to New York, the city where he grew up. But the Mets got only three hits off Scott Terry (8-10) and Ken Daley as Viola absorbed his first defeat as a Met.

In three games with the Mets, Viola is 1-1. And the victory came in a game when the Mets scored three runs in the top of the ninth after he left, trailing, 2-1. He has pitched 21 innings and has given up just five runs and 16 hits. But while he was in those games, the Mets scored only two runs.

It was no different Friday, when only 24,882 fans showed up on a damp night for Viola’s home debut.

“It was fun being back at the park where I grew up watching baseball, but the bottom line is we lost,” Viola said.

“I was really pumped up early, maybe too much. The weather really wasn’t the best. But no excuses. We didn’t win.”

Vince Coleman started the winning rally in the third when he singled and stole second, his 49th steal in 49 attempts against the Mets. Ozzie Smith had the first of his three singles before Pedro Guerrero and Jose Oquendo singled in the runs.

Guerrero also singled in the final run. The former Dodger is batting .425 with runners in scoring position this season.

Terry’s shoulder stiffened after he gave up just one hit in six innings.

The loss dropped the Mets 4 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the East.

Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 1--It was a perfect spot for the Expos to end their seven-game losing streak.

They were at home, they were playing the slumping Pirates and they had their hot pitcher, Mark Langston, on the mound.

Langston (10-3) pitched a six-hitter, and Andres Galarraga hit his 17th home run to keep the Expos 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs.

Langston, who has won eight out of his last nine decisions, struck out four. He has 117 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings.

Cincinnati 6, Houston 1--It is too late to do the Reds’ hopes any good, but Eric Davis is starting to hit just in time to hurt the Astros.

Davis belted two home runs at Houston to give him 25 for the season and six in his last eight games. His three runs batted in helped Tim Leary (8-9) drop the Astros four games behind San Francisco in the West.

Leary gave up six hits and a run in 7 1/3 innings. Rob Dibble finished, to earn only his second save.

Atlanta 6-0, San Diego 5-2--Olympian Andy Benes was hammered for three home runs in his major league debut in the opener of the doubleheader at San Diego, but Jack Clark’s two-run home run in the fourth inning of the nightcap earned the split for the Padres.

Dale Murphy’s three-run home run in the fourth was the big blow off Benes.

In the second game, Mark Davis came to the rescue of Dennis Rasmussen and got the last five outs for his 30th save.

Tony Gwynn went 6 for 8 in the two games to raise his league-leading average to .346.