NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Dawson Puts Cubs Back in Swing

The tendency at Wrigley Field, especially when the wind is blowing out, is to overswing.

Andre Dawson, who has a chronic back problem, can’t afford that.

So the Cubs’ 35-year-old right fielder resisted temptation Tuesday afternoon with gusts of 25-m.p.h. blowing out.

The result was Dawson’s home run into the center-field seats to tie the score in the ninth inning, then a two-run blast in almost the same place with one out in the 11th to help give the Cubs a 10-8 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

“I tried not to pull the ball and just hit it right down the middle,” Dawson told the Associated Press. “I had to remember to stay back on the ball. They have been throwing me a lot of off-speed pitches, and I’ve been fouling them back.”

The Cubs were in a mood to celebrate after ending a three-game losing streak with only their fourth win in 12 home games. After blowing a four-run lead and losing Monday night, they wasted a 5-0 margin before storming back in this one.

Meanwhile, the Braves hit three home runs, and the wind turned some routine fly balls into adventures.

The luck of Tom Glavine, the top left-hander of the Braves, continued to be poor. An error by right fielder Dale Murphy helped the Cubs score five unearned runs in the first inning.

But the Braves, who scored only 12 runs in his previous five starts, fought back to take a 7-6 lead in the eighth. Then the bullpen couldn’t hold it.

“The way we’ve been struggling lately, I thought we were in the seventh game of the World Series when Andre hit the one in the 11th,” Cub Manager Don Zimmer said.

Pittsburgh 10, San Diego 2--After taking over first place during a recent 13-game trip, the Pirates finally are playing better at home.

Mike LaValliere and Andy Van Slyke each hit a home run and drove in three runs when the Pirates defeated the Padres for their fourth victory in a row at Pittsburgh.

Walt Terrell, signed as a free agent last winter, gave up two runs in the first, but the Pirates’ 16-hit attack and four double plays gave him his first victory as a Pirate.

Eric Show (0-4) failed to make it through the second inning, giving up four runs and five hits.

Barry Bonds, a .600 hitter against the Padres, singled in two runs to tie it in the first. Van Slyke is batting .563 against the Padres.

The Pirates, with an 18-8 record, lead the Eastern Division by 3 1/2 games over Montreal.

New York 4, San Francisco 1--The Giants, desperate for effective pitching, started Rick Reuschel, who will be 41 next week, at New York with only three days’ rest.

The veteran right-hander was doing very well until, with two out in the seventh inning, he walked Kevin McReynolds with the bases loaded to break a 1-1 tie.

The Mets scored two more in the eighth to win their fourth in a row. The Mets are beginning to play good ball, but they aren’t gaining on the surprising Pirates.

Kevin Mitchell hit a 430-foot home run in the fourth inning for the Giants’ run. It was the seventh home run for Mitchell, who led the majors in home runs last season with 47. Saturday in Montreal, he hit a 462-foot home run.

Sid Fernandez (2-3) gave up only three hits other than Mitchell’s homer in seven innings, and John Franco picked up his seventh save.

Houston 3, Philadelphia 2--Rafael Ramirez doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning at Houston.

Eric Yelding opened the extra inning with a single to right and stole second. Ramirez lined the ball over the head of left fielder Randy Ready and Yelding scored without a play.

The Phillies missed several opportunities to win it. In the seventh, Astro right fielder Glenn Wilson threw out Curt Ford at the plate to end the inning.

In the 10th, Ready tried to score the go-ahead run but missed home plate and was tagged out.