NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Cubs Feel Right at Home in Candlestick

Andre Dawson has learned to love Candlestick Park.

Dawson had three hits, including a double, to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-6 victory over the San Francisco Giants Wednesday. It was Chicago’s third consecutive victory and No. 800 for Manager Don Zimmer.

Despite four home runs--two by Matt Williams and one each from Kevin Mitchell and Gary Carter--San Francisco fell to 2-11 at home. Last season they were 53-28 at Candlestick, the best home record in the league.

Dawson, who homered Tuesday night, has hit safely in 11 consecutive games. During the streak, he has hit four home runs and driven in 14 runs.

The Cubs, off to a slow start, had 16 hits and 31 in two games at Candlestick.

“We’re still not playing the way we can, but we are getting there,” Zimmer said.

Last season the Giants didn’t lose a series at home. This season they have already lost three. The Giants start a nine-game trip Friday at Montreal. On the road, they are 6-3.

“I see a lot of good things happening, but obviously something has got to be done with our pitching,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said.

Scott Garrelts (0-3) lasted only 3 1/3 innings.

“It seems that every time we make a mistake it costs us three or four runs,” Craig said. “That’s the way it goes when you’re not going good. Maybe a change of scenery will help us.”

Rookie Mike Harkey (3-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings and Paul Assenmacher relieved for his first save in 78 appearances since Sept. 17, 1988.

San Diego 4, St. Louis 3--Jack Clark and Bip Roberts hit home runs in the sixth inning at San Diego as the Padres ended a five-game losing streak.

Bruce Hurst (1-3) earned the victory, giving up only seven hits and two runs in seven innings.

Jose DeLeon had a 2-0 lead and had given up only three singles when Clark, who had been hitless in 14 at-bats lifetime against the Cardinal pitcher, hit his fifth homer. With one out, Benito Santiago singled and Roberts hit his third homer and seventh of his career.

New York 5, Cincinnati 0--Frank Viola held the Reds to six hits at New York and became the league’s first five-game winner.

Mike Marshall hit a home run, double and single and drove in three runs.

Viola has given up runs in only one of his starts. In 36 1/3 innings, he has given up 24 hits, four runs, three walks and has 40 strikeouts.

Howard Johnson also homered for the Mets, who are 10-11. They went into the game with a .214 batting average, but have 24 runs in Viola’s five starts.

Philadelphia 14, Houston 4--Tom Herr had four of the Phillies’ 20 hits in a rout at Philadelphia.

The score was tied, 4-4, before the Phillies sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the eighth inning. It was their biggest inning in four years.

Herr had three doubles and a single and tied his career high with five runs batted in.

Dennis Cook, who fell behind, 4-0, survived the shaky start for the victory. He is 4-0.

Atlanta 8, Montreal 1--Andres Thomas hit a grand slam and Marty Clary pitched a strong seven innings at Montreal as the Braves won their fourth in a row.

The Braves got to Zane Smith for nine hits and six runs in six innings. Thomas’ grand slam highlighted a five-run third inning.