NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Coleman Homers to Save Legs, Beat Giants

Vince Coleman was hoping to get a hit so he could steal second base and put the winning run in scoring position.

He got a hit all right, but he didn’t have to run it out when the ball cleared the fence with two out in the 12th inning Thursday to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at St. Louis.

“It’s one of those things you dream about,” Coleman said. “You want to be that hero. A jubilating feeling goes over your body when you’re on the basepaths.”

Coleman hit his second home run of the season over the left-field wall off reliever Ed Vosberg (0-1) to end the longest game either team has played this season.

Coleman went three for four with two walks and a stolen base on a pitchout. He had two triples Wednesday night and is 11 for 23 against the Giants this season.

“Coleman’s a hell of a weapon,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said after San Francisco lost for the fifth time in six games. “He can beat you in a lot of ways.”

Frank DiPino (1-0), the fifth St. Louis pitcher, got the last out in the top of the 12th to pick up the victory. DiPino is 10-0 over the last two seasons.

The Giants tied the score, 2-2, in the eighth on Robby Thompson’s two-out double off reliever Ken Dayley.

Pedro Guerrero singled home two runs for the Cardinals in the first against Don Robinson, who made his first start of the season following knee surgery in the off-season.

San Diego 5, New York 4--Andy Benes held New York to three hits in seven innings and drove in two runs with a pair of singles as the Padres knocked off the Mets and Frank Viola at New York.

Benes (4-4) allowed three runs in the fifth inning when Daryl Boston hit a solo home run and Gregg Jefferies hit a two-run shot.

Viola (7-2) lost his second game in a row to the Padres, lasting 3 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. He gave up all five runs--four earned--and eight hits.

Cincinnati 7, Montreal 1--Ron Robinson scattered four hits over six shutout innings and the Reds snapped the Expos’ four-game winning streak at Montreal.

Robinson (2-1) struck out two and walked two.

Billy Hatcher had three singles and a double for Cincinnati, 15-4 on the road, which broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the fourth against Kevin Gross (5-3).

Philadelphia 8, Atlanta 4--Von Hayes snapped a six-for-31 slump with a homer, triple and single and drove in four runs as the Phillies beat the Braves at Philadelphia for their third consecutive win.

Lenny Dykstra had three hits for the Phillies, raising his average to .411, tops in the majors.