National League Roundup : After Nearly Fading Out, Cubs Come On Strong

Last Friday, after wasting a 7-1 lead and losing to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs appeared to be a team in deep trouble.

The Cubs’ lead in the National League East was only one-half game over the Cardinals. Their pitching appeared to be in shambles.

It seemed a question only of which of the three teams chasing them would take advantage of the collapse.

What collapse? Four days later, things have never looked better for the Cubs.

Mike Bielecki pitched a two-hitter and Ryne Sandberg hit his 30th home run Tuesday night at Chicago to lead the Cubs to a 2-0 victory over Montreal. Their lead in the East, with only 17 games remaining, has widened to 4 1/2 games.

The Cubs have a modest four-game winning streak, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. Unlike the American League, in which contenders rarely seem to face each other in the stretch, National League contenders seem to be playing each other nearly every day.

That’s why four in a row is so big. Two of the victories put the Cardinals into a tailspin; the last two have done the same to the Expos.

Meanwhile, the two bottom teams in the East, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, have done in the Mets.

Bielecki had been in a slump. But he was in complete control of the Expos and improved to 16-6. The 30-year-old right-hander is one of the big surprises of the year.

Until he won a regular spot in the Cubs’ starting rotation this spring, Bielecki spent much of his 10-year professional career in the minors. The main reason is that he didn’t pitch well when he had the chance. In appearances with Pittsburgh and the Cubs, he was 12-19.

“It’s the best game I ever pitched,” Bielecki said. “Yet it could have gone either way.”

The Expos are six games behind the Cubs.

Philadelphia 2, New York 1--For a long time after getting hit over the eye by a fastball thrown by Mike Torres April 9, 1984, Dickie Thon’s vision was blurred.

Doctors doubted he would ever have clear vision again. It has been a tough struggle for the shortstop who hit 20 home runs for Houston in 1983.

But there is nothing wrong with his vision now. Thon hit his 13th home run with one out in the ninth inning at Philadelphia to put a severe crimp in the Mets’ pennant hopes.

Thon had hit only 10 home runs in parts of five seasons after the beaning.

The home run was sweet music for Roger McDowell. McDowell, once the star of the Met bullpen, had been traded away earlier this season. He pitched two shutout innings to beat his old mates and drop them 5 1/2 games out of first place. Two of his four victories are against the Mets.

The Mets are 28-41 on the road, where they play 12 of their last 18 games.

Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 2--It’s not enough that half of their pitching staff is hurt. Those Cardinal pitchers who aren’t burdened by injuries are tired.

Joe Magrane (18-8) is a prime example. After pitching better than anyone in the league for two months, Magrane has been mostly ineffective in his last three starts after winning seven in a row and 11 of 12.

Errors by Willie McGee and Pedro Guerrero contributed to three unearned runs at St. Louis.

That made it easy for Bob Walk (13-10), who held the Cardinals to five hits in 8 2/3 innings. Bill Landrum replaced him after Milt Thompson singled in the ninth and Guerrero tagged him for his 15th home run.

Guerrero had gone more than 40 games without an error before he dropped a throw from catcher Todd Zeile on a sacrifice.

Atlanta 6, San Francisco 5--Dale Murphy hit a three-run home run to cap a five-run eighth inning rally at San Francisco by the Braves.

Rick Reuschel appeared on his way to his 17th victory when he left after six innings with a 5-1 lead.

But Kelly Downs and bullpen ace Steve Bedrosian couldn’t hold it. Murphy hit the home run off Bedrosian.

Kevin Mitchell hit his 43rd homer of the season for the Giants.

San Diego 9, Houston 0--Bruce Hurst pitched a two-hitter and Roberto Alomar drove in four runs at San Diego as the Padres took a firm grip on second place in the West.

Hurst (14-10) retired the last 14 as the Padres won for the 16th time in the last 19 games. They lead Houston by two games.

Alomar extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a pair of two-run singles.