NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Davis Returns to Give Reds a Much-Needed Boost With His Power

When the Cincinnati Reds started the season with nine consecutive victories, their only proven slugger, Eric Davis, was in a slump.

Then, the power-hitting outfielder injured his knee, and the surprising Reds built their lead in the National League West without him.

Although he entered the game batting only .189, Davis hit two homers Sunday at Cincinnati as the Reds beat the Houston Astros, 7-1, for their fifth consecutive victory.

Davis, his knee improved to the point where he can return to center field after playing in left, led the Reds’ surprising home run surge against the Astros.

Paul O’Neill and Glenn Braggs also homered for the Reds to give them nine in the last two games after hitting only 40 in the first 57.

The Astros, hammered by the Reds in a three-game sweep after winning six in a row, lost their composure. After Davis hit his second two-run homer in the seventh inning, Houston reliever Xavier Hernandez hit Todd Benzinger.

Both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown and order was quickly restored.

Both Davis and Braggs were among the home run hitters Saturday night.

Davis has hit six of his seven home runs since May 29.

He gave some of the credit to the hot, muggy weather that makes the ball carry better in Riverfront Stadium.

“But mostly, things are just happening,” he said. “Guys are getting the bat on the ball and they’re just going out. You don’t swing for home runs.”

Manager Art Howe of the Astros, who dropped 15 games behind the Reds after hoping to cut into the big lead when they arrived in Cincinnati, was perplexed.

“The ball flies out of here, especially in the daytime,” he said. “What I don’t understand is why we didn’t get any. We had 27 chances and didn’t get anything.”

With all that support, Jose Rijo (5-2) breezed. He struck out 10 and gave up just four hits in eight innings.

“The guy had great stuff,” catcher Jeff Reed said of Rijo. “You have great stuff, you’re going to win.”

San Francisco 9, Atlanta 7--The Reds might have trouble holding off the Giants.

Hot-hitting Matt Williams singled in the winning run at San Francisco to give the Giants their eighth victory in a row and their 15th in the last 16 games.

Williams, who also had two doubles, has hit safely in 14 consecutive games. He drove in two runs and leads the league with 55 RBIs.

The Giants are 8-2 against the Braves and have outscored them, 91-35. Atlanta made five errors to contribute to the loss.

Steve Bedrosian, who blew the save, pitched 2 2/3 innings to get the victory.

New York 4, Pittsburgh 3--With left-hander Neal Heaton pitching, Manager Bud Harrelson gave hot-hitting Darryl Strawberry the day off at Pittsburgh.

Strawberry had hit five home runs in five games. The Mets’ power outburst against the Pirates continued.

The slugger, though, was not Howard Johnson, Kevin McReynolds or Mike Marshall. It was center fielder Mark Carreon. He led off the game with a homer and hit another in the fifth inning to give the Mets the lead for good.

Heaton (9-2) failed in his bid to become the first 10-game winner in the league. He left after six innings.

Dwight Gooden, who had not beaten the Pirates for nearly two years, improved his record to 5-5. Although he gave up nine hits in seven innings, Gooden left with a one-run lead. John Franco pitched two perfect innings for his 11th save.

“I knew I could drive in runs if I had the opportunity,” Carreon said. “This was a big series. We had the confidence, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win.”

By winning two out of three, the Mets now trail the leading Pirates by six games.

St. Louis 7, Montreal 1--The temperature was 97 in St. Louis, but it was a no-sweat effort for Jose DeLeon (6-5).

He gave up only two hits before departing with one out in the eighth inning after issuing his sixth walk.

“It was hot, but if you let it bother you, it will get to your mind,” DeLeon said after throwing 121 pitches. “You go as hard for as long as you can.”

Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said the temperature was 141 degrees on the AstroTurf.

Chicago 5, Philadelphia 3--Joe Girardi singled home the tie-breaking run in the eighth inning at Philadelphia and Marvell Wynne homered in the ninth to help the Cubs end a six-game losing streak.

Jeff Pico (3-0) settled down after yielding three runs and four hits in the first inning for Chicago. Philadelphia starter Ken Howell left for a pinch-hitter after giving up three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

Jeff Parrett (2-6) retired the first two Chicago batters in the eighth, but Domingo Ramos singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run when Girardi grounded a single up the middle. Wynne’s second home run of the season in the ninth was insurance.

Cub center fielder Jerome Walton sustained a broken left hand when he was by a pitch from Howell in the fifth inning.

A Cub spokesman said Walton would be sidelined three weeks. He is hitting .270 with no home runs and 13 RBIs in 57 games.