NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braves Hit Four Home Runs, Defeat Expos, 6-3

Not a whole lot went right for the Montreal Expos Monday night at Montreal.

First, mechanical problems prevented opening the Olympic Stadium roof for what would have been the first time this season.

Then, rookie Howard Farmer couldn’t keep the Atlanta Braves from hitting the ball out of the park.

Jim Presley hit two of Atlanta’s four home runs off Farmer as the Braves beat the Expos, 6-3. Atlanta has won five of its last six games, and Montreal has lost five of six.

Presley’s two-homer game was the eighth of his six-year career. He had one three-homer game, Sept. 1, 1986, against Detroit while playing for the Seattle Mariners.

Winner John Smoltz (6-6) gave up five hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings for the victory and Joe Boever finished for his seventh save. Smoltz has won three consecutive decisions.

Farmer, making his major league debut, got a rude welcome when Oddibe McDowell led off the game with a double and Jeff Treadway followed with a home run on Farmer’s fourth pitch of the game. Farmer (0-1) was called up from the minors last week to replace the injured Kevin Gross in the Montreal rotation.

The four homers given up by Farmer tied a club record shared by Steve Renko, Scott Sanderson and Gross.

The Expos spoiled the shutout in the seventh when Mike Aldrete tripled and scored on Nelson Santovenia’s sacrifice fly. Tim Wallach added a two-run double in the eighth.

San Francisco 3, St. Louis 2--Don Robinson gave up two runs in 8 2/3 innings and scored a run in leading the Giants at San Francisco.

Pedro Guerrero spoiled Robinson’s shutout when he hit his ninth homer with one out in the ninth inning. One out later, Milt Thompson doubled and Jose Oquendo chased Robinson with a run-scoring single.

Jeff Brantley got his 11th save when pinch-runner Rex Hudler was caught stealing by Gary Carter.

Loser Joe Magrane (4-11) gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings. The Cardinals have scored a total of 21 runs in his major league leading 11 losses.

Robinson is 4-1.

Pittsburgh 4, San Diego 3--It took 14 innings, but the Padres lost for the sixth consecutive time.

Jay Bell singled home Jose Lind from second base with one out in the 14th at San Diego to give the Pirates the victory. Lind led off the inning with a double off Calvin Schiraldi (2-1).

Bob Patterson (5-3) pitched three hitless innings for the victory.

The Pirates have three consecutive victories and lead the New York Mets by 1 1/2 in the National League East.

Philadelphia 5, Houston 1--The Astros lost for the 14th time in 15 road games as the Phillies’ Darrel Akerfelds recorded his first major league save by pitching out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning at Philadelphia.

Bruce Ruffin (6-7) worked 6 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, to earn his third victory in his last four games.

With the Phillies leading, 3-1, Ruffin walked the bases loaded with one out in the sixth and Akerfelds came on.

Eric Yelding lined out to shortstop Dickie Thon and Rafael Ramirez hit into a force at second to end the inning.

Akerfelds, 28, was purchased last spring from Texas.