National League Roundup : Cubs Go About Their Business, 5-1

There was more controversy Wednesday night in Cincinnati, but the Chicago Cubs didn’t let it affect them.

National League President Bill White was on hand to inquire about a shoving incident Tuesday night involving umpire Joe West and Manager Pete Rose and second baseman Ron Oester of the Reds.

But the Cubs remained unruffled as Mike Bielecki (14-5) pitched a three-hitter, and Chicago won, 5-1, to retain its 3 1/2-game lead in the East.

There was more good news for the Cubs. Andre Dawson, mired in a slump for more than two weeks, seems to be coming out of it.

Dawson, who had only five hits in his previous 60 at-bats before hitting a three-run home run in the 12th inning to win Tuesday’s game, came back with three more hits, including a home run.

The shoving incident Tuesday night came in the bottom of the 12th after umpire Bill Hohn called Oester out on strikes to end the game.

Apparently, West came up to take part in the argument between Oester and Hohn. Rose, who denied pushing West, stepped between his player and West.

“I didn’t shove anybody,” Rose said.

Last season, when Rose shoved umpire Dave Pallone, then-league president Bart Giamatti suspended Rose for 30 days.

Giamatti, now the commissioner, and Rose are embroiled in a court battle as Rose tries to prevent Giamatti from conducting a hearing on whether Rose is guilty of gambling on baseball.

The Cubs simply want to stay ahead of the Mets. They need Dawson’s bat to do it.

“I feel a lot better now,” Dawson said. “You can only go through something like that for so long; sooner or later you get your rhythm back. I’m getting it.”

Montreal 4, San Francisco 2--When it appeared that the Expos’ collapse was complete, the Giants allowed them to come up for air at Montreal.

Candy Maldonado, who hit a home run in the seventh inning, dropped a short fly ball with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, and three runners raced home to give the Expos the victory.

The Expos had lost three in a row and 10 of their previous 12 and had gone from a three-game lead in the Eastern Division to third place, four games back.

Kevin Mitchell’s 38th home run and Maldonado’s eighth had given the leaders of the West a 2-1 lead, and Craig Lefferts retired the first two Expos in the eighth.

Tim Raines then doubled, and bullpen ace Steve Bedrosian came in. He walked two batters to fill the bases. On a 3-and-2 pitch, Nelson Santovenia hit a pop fly to right. Maldonado failed to make the sliding catch, and the Expos had a victory.

New York 7, San Diego 2--Darryl Strawberry hit two home runs at New York, and Howard Johnson hit his 29th homer of the season to lead the Mets to their eighth victory in the last nine games.

Ron Darling (11-9) won his third in a row, giving up nine hits in 7 1/3 innings.

St. Louis 3, Atlanta 2--Rookie shortstop Tim Jones singled home Tom Brunansky to cap a three-run eighth inning at St. Louis, then almost became involved in a brawl.

Jones went to second base on the throw home on his single, took third on a passed ball but was out trying to score on the play. He and Brave catcher John Russell engaged in a shoving match and both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown.

Pittsburgh 5, Houston 4--Bobby Bonilla hit a disputed home run with two out in the 12th inning at Houston to give the Pirates the victory.

After umpires first ruled Bonilla’s drive to right-center field was a double, they decided the ball hit above the yellow line and declared it a home run.