National League Roundup : Bielecki Wins No. 17 for Cubs, 4-2

The Chicago Cubs have been full of surprises this season. Probably the biggest surprise has been pitcher Mike Bielecki.

Bielecki improved to 17-7 and moved the Cubs closer to the National League East title by pitching a strong six innings Friday at Chicago in the Cubs’ 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Before Bielecki tired in the seventh, he held his former club to five hits and a run. The bullpen took over after the Pirates pulled within two runs, and Mitch Williams, another surprise, got the last two outs for his 35th save.

Mark Grace drove in two runs and scored another as the Cubs reduced their magic number to five with their second consecutive victory.

Only two clubs in the league had worse pitching last season than the Cubs----Atlanta and Philadelphia. Poor pitching accounted for a 77-85 record that left the Cubs 24 games behind the New York Mets.

There was no reason to expect a change in Bielecki this season. In parts of four seasons with Pittsburgh and 19 games with the Cubs last year, the 30-year-old right-hander was 12-19 with an earned-run average of 4.37. He had a reputation for seldom finishing what he started.

He has completed only four of 32 starts this season, but with Williams around, that is not important.

Said Bielecki, who has given up only eight earned runs to the Pirates in 34 innings:

“I don’t hold a grudge against the Pirates,” said Bielecki, who was traded to the Cubs for Mike Curtis. “But I still have some good friends over there and I enjoy beating them. It’s also time for us to prove we are the best team in the East. I want to do my part.”

Curtis not only didn’t help the Pirates, he wasn’t even in organized baseball this season.

Pittsburgh Manager Jim Leyland is much more impressed with Bielecki than he was when the Pirates traded him.

“He’s gone back to power pitching,” Leyland said. “When he was with us, his back was bothering him, and I didn’t get to see the real Mike Bielecki. He powered us.”

After the game, the Cubs announced that they have exercised the option on Andre Dawson’s contract through next season.

St. Louis 2, Philadelphia 1--The Cardinals seem to be in another hitting slump, but they managed to stay four games behind the Cubs.

With the Cardinals leading, 1-0, at St. Louis, former teammate Tommy Herr tripled and scored on Ken Dayley’s wild pitch in the ninth inning.

Then the Cardinals loaded the bases in the 10th, and with two out, pinch-hitter Denny Walling singled in the winning run.

In the eighth inning, Dayley, who had been trying to save the victory for Joe Magrane, worked out of a jam with the bases loaded and nobody out.

The Cardinals have only eight games left but figure they have a chance if they can get within three games. The Cubs and Cardinals play their final three games of the season at St. Louis.

The Cardinals had a runner on first with two out in the 10th when Ozzie Smith singled off Roger McDowell (4-8) and Jose Oquendo was given an intentional walk. Walling, batting .360 as a pinch-hitter, came through again.

New York 3, Montreal 2--It’s probably too late for the Mets. Despite Mark Carreon’s home run that broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning at New York, they moved a little further away from winning their second division title in a row.

Any combination of four Cub victories or Met defeats will prevent the Mets from repeating. They remained 5 1/2 games behind.

Carreon, who has hit four pinch homers this season, enabled Ron Darling to improve to 14-13.

Houston 3, San Francisco 1--Mark Portugal joined the Astros too late to pitch them to the pennant.

But Portugal came within one out of a shutout at San Francisco as he beat the Giants for the third consecutive time and won his seventh in a row for the Astros.

With San Diego losing, however, the Giants’ magic number dropped to four. They might clinch before Will Clark returns from injuries he suffered when he collided with Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia Thursday night/

Cincinnati 8, Atlanta 3--Eric Davis has missed 29 games because of injuries and played in quite a few more when he wasn’t physically at his best.

But when healthy, Davis has had a big season. He hit his 34th home run to lead the Reds at Atlanta.

Ron Robinson (5-3) gave up only four hits in six innings to win.