National League Roundup : Williams Fuels Giants Past Expos

Although other teams dislike Candlestick Park more than any stadium in the league, the Giants love their home.

Matt Williams hit a three-run home run in the first inning Saturday and Scott Garrelts improved his home record to 7-1 as the Giants beat the Montreal Expos, 8-3.

Garrelts (10-3), unbeaten since June 25, gave up four hits in 7 1/3 innings as the Giants improved their home record to 40-21.

Williams opened the season as the Giants’ third baseman, but was sent to Phoenix of the Pacific Coast League to improve his hitting. He was recalled about a month ago.

The home run, which started the downfall of Mark Langston (10-5), was Williams’ 10th in 31 games since returning. He is the Giants’ No. 5 hitter behind Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark.

Langston gave up six runs in three innings and his earned-run average increased from 2.15 to 2.50. Dodger Orel Hershiser took the league ERA lead at 2.36; Garrelts is at 2.38.

Mitchell had a two-run single in the third, giving him a major league-leading 110 runs batted in, the most by a Giant since Willie McCovey drove in 126 in 1970.

Clark walked and had three hits to increase his average to .343, best in the majors. He had a two-run double and has 93 RBIs.

Williams has 12 home runs for the Giants; he hit 26 at Phoenix.

“I’ve always had the ability to hit home runs, but when they sent me out, I wasn’t doing the job,” Williams said. “I’m glad to be back in the majors, contributing a little and protecting Kevin and Will. When you’re relaxed and confident, things fall into place.”

Garrelts, a reliever most of his six previous seasons, has made the most of his chance to be a starter.

“I always knew I had the ability, but I had no idea how I’d do as a starter,” said Garrelts, who had a one-hitter until the Expos rallied in the eighth.

Atlanta 5, Chicago 3--Although the Cubs have been on top in the East most of the season, their pitching has been questionable.

With bullpen ace Mitch Williams and Rick Sutcliffe, the best of the starters, faltering, it’s not surprising the Cubs are slumping.

Sutcliffe (13-10) was gone before he could get an out in the fourth inning at Chicago. He gave up a lead-off home run to Oddibe McDowell and two home runs to Jeff Blauser, and lost his second in a row. The Cubs have lost seven of their last eight.

When Derek Lilliquist, given a 4-0 lead, couldn’t survive the fourth inning, it gave Sergio Valdez a chance to win his first game.

Valdez, 0-4 with Montreal last year, lost two with the Braves this season. But he pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and his throw to the plate thwarted a squeeze play that would have tied the score in the sixth.

The Cubs learned after the game that catcher Damon Berryhill will be sidelined for the rest of the season because of a partial tear of his right rotator cuff. Berryhill hit .257 with five homers and 41 RBIs this season.

St. Louis 5, Houston 3--Terry Pendleton hit his fifth home run this month and Pedro Guerrero drove in two more runs at Houston as the Cardinals moved to within 1 1/2 games of first place in the East.

The Cardinals have won 10 of their last 13 games, and the Astros have lost five in a row and fallen five games behind San Francisco in the West.

Rookie Ken Hill (7-10) pitched six innings to end a four-game losing streak. Relievers Ken Dayley and Todd Worrell finished. Worrell pitched a scoreless ninth for his 19th save.

It was a 1-1 tie when Guerrero walked in the fourth and Pendleton then hit his 11th homer to give St. Louis the lead for good.

Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh 4--Todd Benzinger tripled with the bases loaded in the first inning at Cincinnati and the Reds gave Tommy Helms his first victory in two games as interim manager.

Ron Robinson (3-1) went five innings to get the victory. Reliever Ron Dibble had five strikeouts in two innings and John Franco went the last two for his 27th save.

San Diego 9, New York 4--Marvell Wynne’s three-run homer off Ron Darling in the fifth inning powered the Padres past the Mets at San Diego.

The fourth-place Mets dropped their fourth consecutive game and remained 2 1/2 games behind Chicago.

The Padres scored six runs on eight hits off Darling (12-10), who entered the game with a four-game winning streak and had allowed only four earned runs in his previous 33 2/3 innings.