NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Cubs’ Harkey Loses No-Hitter but Beats Padres

The Chicago Cubs have been expecting great things from Mike Harkey ever since they selected him out of Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the 1987 amateur draft.

Harkey lived up to expectations Thursday when the rookie right-hander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres in the Cubs’ 3-1 victory at San Diego.

Phil Stephenson led off the bottom of the eighth with his first home run to end Harkey’s bid to become the first Cub in 18 years to pitch a no-hitter. Milt Pappas beat the Padres, 8-0, on Sept. 2, 1972.

After the home run, Harkey (2-1) was relieved by Mitch Williams, who earned his fifth save.

Harkey, who was 2-7 during an injury-plagued season at Iowa last season, struck out five and walked two in his third start of the season. He got his first major league victory April 14 against the Pittsburgh Pirates before losing his next start against the New York Mets on April 19.

Pittsburgh 2, San Francisco 1--Pirate left-hander John Smiley pitched a three-hitter to keep the Giants winless at home. The Giants’ eighth consecutive home loss ties a club record.

Sid Bream drove in the game-winning run with an eighth-inning single that gave the Pirates their first three-game sweep at Candlestick Park since July 11-13, 1983.

Houston 3, Atlanta 0--Craig Biggio’s two-run homer at Atlanta helped the Astros end a three- game losing streak.

Biggio’s homer, his first, came off Derek Lilliquist after Eric Yelding opened the fifth inning with a bloop single.

Jim Clancy (1-0) earned the win, allowing two hits in seven innings.