NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Dawson Shows That He’s Able to Have a Big Year

Even though the lockout delayed the start of spring training for three weeks, Andre Dawson, who had knee surgery last October, swas limping when he arrived at the Chicago Cubs’ camp in March.

At the time, Manager Don Zimmer didn’t think his star right fielder would be ready to open the season. But Dawson not only played in the opener, he showed that he was ready to have a big year.

Dawson, off to one of the best starts in his career, hit his 13th home run and drove in three runs Sunday at Houston to lead the Cubs to a 5-1 victory.

The Astros, who have lost 12 of their last 14 games, were glad to see Dawson leave town. In the Cubs’ three-game sweep, Dawson was seven for 12, hit two home runs, drove in nine runs and scored three. The Astros, meanwhile, managed only two runs.

Rookie Shawn Boskie pitched a five-hitter to win in his major league debut. He also got two hits, including an RBI double, off Mike Scott (1-5). Eric Anthony homered in the third inning for the Astro run.

Dawson leads the league in homers and the majors in runs batted in with 41. It is a start similar to the one in 1987 when he was the most valuable player. After 37 games that year he was batting .385 and had 12 home runs and 34 RBIs. He is batting .349 after 37 games.

“I didn’t think Andre would be ready after I saw him limp into camp,” Zimmer said. “But when he’s hitting like this he can carry a team. It helps the whole team when he’s in a streak like this. I’ve never seen him this hot, though.”

Of Boskie, he said: “We knew the kid had a good arm. We decided yesterday to turn him loose. I like what I saw.”

Dawson is enjoying his consistency. “I don’t think I’m hot, just consistent,” he said. “I was in a streak like this in August in 1987. It was on the road, too. Maybe I get more rest when I’m out of town.”

St. Louis 6, Cincinnati 2--Danny Jackson, a 23-game winner in 1988, pitched pretty well, but he didn’t win at Cincinnati in his first start since coming off the disabled list.

Jackson gave up six hits in 6 2/3 innings, but was outpitched by Joe Magrane, who won his second game after six losses to open the season.

Jackson had been out since being hit in the arm with a line drive April 29.

“I was nervous, but my drive and my motions were great,” Jackson said. “I threw nice and easy, which is the key.”

Magrane, who gave up five hits and only one earned run in seven innings, is learning to appreciate catcher Tom Pagnozzi.

Pagnozzi, who has caught both of his victories, singled in the tie-breaking run in the seventh.

The Cardinals, who had been shut out in successive games, ended a string of 20 scoreless innings in the second inning.

San Diego 3, New York 1--The Mets are finding numerous ways to lose on the road.

On this trip West they have lost because of poor fielding, lack of hitting in the clutch and ineffective pitching. They found another way at San Diego--bad luck.

Just as first baseman Mike Marshall prepared to field Roberto Alomar’s routine grounder in the seventh inning, the ball took a bad hop over Marshall’s glove for a two-run single that broke a 1-1 tie.

The hit, which made a loser of reliever Ron Darling (1-4), came after Tony Gwynn was given an intentional walk with two out.

The Mets, 1-5 on the trip and 4-11 on the road this season, loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. But Craig Lefferts came in and struck out pinch-hitters Mark Carreon and Mackey Sasser.

Montreal 6, San Francisco 5--Pinch-hitter Wallace Johnson hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the 11th inning to win it at San Francisco.

Spike Owen singled with one out against Atlee Hammaker (3-3), and Johnson, hitless in seven appearances as a pinch-hitter, homered on the next pitch.

The Expos added another run and it turned out to be important. Robby Thompson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th to make it close.

Tim Wallach and Larry Walker hit consecutive home runs in the second inning for the Expos. Wallach has hit six of his eight home runs in the last 14 games.

Atlanta 13, Pittsburgh 11--Bob Kipper came out of the bullpen to replace injured John Smiley in the Pirate rotation at Atlanta.

He wasn’t the answer.

Bob Murphy and Ron Gant each homered twice for Atlanta. Bobby Bonilla hit two for the Pirates.

Bonilla was four for five, scored five runs and drove in four. But the Pirates never caught up after Kipper gave up seven runs in 1 1/3 innings.