NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Winning No Problem for Relaxed Reds

After the tumultuous 1989 season, it’s not surprising that the Cincinnati Reds are loose and relaxed under new Manager Lou Piniella.

Clearly, the controversy surrounding Pete Rose because of his gambling bothered the Reds. In addition, injuries sidelined some key players.

The Reds are off to their best start in a decade. They have combined hitting and pitching to win their first five games. Only a heavy rain Saturday night in Atlanta, when they had a 9-4 lead over the Braves, kept them from being 6-0.

They came back after that game was rained out to beat the Braves, 13-6, Sunday at Atlanta, with Eric Davis and Chris Sabo each hitting three-run home runs.

Oddibe McDowell’s three-run home run in the sixth inning gave the Braves a 4-2 lead. But the Reds chased Tom Glavine (0-2) with three singles in the seventh and Eric Davis followed with his first homer of the season.

The Reds broke the game open with seven runs in the ninth, three on Sabo’s homer.

Last season, Sabo hit only six home runs and drove in 29 runs. In five games this season he has three homers and six RBIs.

Sabo credits a change in his swing suggested by Piniella for his new success. Piniella noticed that Sabo, who hit 17 home runs in each of his first two seasons, was off balance and not getting his body into the swing.

“It’s like hitting a golf ball,” Sabo said. “That’s the best way to describe it. I really feel good now. I have fully recovered from the knee operation last fall.

“But, don’t expect too much. Every once in awhile I lapse back into the bad habits. I did it Friday in two at-bats. Today, I was better.”

Piniella had an easy explanation for the Reds’ best start since 1980, when they went 8-0.

“We’re playing nice and loose, relaxed and confident,” he said. “It’s a good lineup. We’re hitting the ball and the pitching’s good.”

San Diego 4, San Francisco 3--The Reds aren’t the only team in the West with a five-game winning streak.

After Rick Reuschel stifled the Padres for eight innings at San Francisco, Benito Santiago hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to extend the winning streak to five games.

The home run was off Steve Bedrosian, the Giants’ bullpen ace. Bedrosian rejoined the Giants before the game after learning that his son, 2 1/2, has leukemia.

Reuschel, who will be 41 next month, was hit hard in the short spring training. But he won his first start, going 5 2/3 scoreless innings at Atlanta. He came right back to hold the Padres to two runs in eight innings.

The Giants took a 3-2 lead in the sixth when Will Clark hit a two-run home run, his first homer of the season.

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago 3--Sid Bream, who missed most of last season because of a knee problem that required surgery, didn’t enter the game at Pittsburgh until the eighth inning.

In the 10th inning, he hit a run-scoring single off Les Lancaster to win the game. It was the first run yielded by the Cubs’ bullpen in 20 1/3 innings this season.

Bobby Bonilla’s three-run homer in the third inning accounted for the other Pirate runs.

Andy Van Slyke opened the 10th with a single off Lancaster, who had pitched six scoreless innings this season. With one out, R.J. Reynolds walked. Bream, the goat in Saturday’s loss when his error helped the Cubs to three runs, slapped a single up the middle.

Philadelphia 4, St. Louis 0--The Phillies planned to use Dennis Cook out of the bullpen this season. So much for plans.

In a starting assignment brought about because of the short spring training, Cook was brilliant at Philadelphia. He gave up only seven hits and one walk in 8 2/3 innings. Roger McDowell got the final out.

“That was an outstanding performance,” Phillie Manager Nick Leyva said. “That shows how smart I am. I’ve had him in the bullpen. If he keeps pitching like that he’ll be tough to get out of the rotation.”

Len Dykstra, who missed the first five games because of an injured right side, was the offensive star.

Dykstra, who said his swing was a little restricted, led off innings with hits four times and scored three runs.

“It’s a mystery to me,” Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said. “We have guys in our lineup who should hit left-handers and they don’t.”

Montreal 3, New York 1--Manager Davey Johnson was hoping the Mets would get off to a fast start and help get him off the hot seat.

Instead, the Mets have fallen into last place in the East and already there are rumors his job is in danger.

Zane Smith, helped by three double plays, gave up only one run in eight innings at Montreal to hand the Mets their fourth defeat in six games. Smith gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked only one.

Smith also had the first triple of his career because center fielder Keith Miller misplayed an ordinary double.

Nelson Santovenia hit the first home run this year by an Expo in the fourth inning to make it 3-1.