NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Murphy, Braves Rain on Mets’ Pennant Parade

For the last two years, the Atlanta Braves’ Dale Murphy hasn’t been very productive, but there is still speculation that he could help some club in a pennant drive.

Murphy, who hit 44 home runs and batted .295 in 1987, has been hearing trade rumors since his average fell to .226 in 1988. With another trading deadline coming July 31, the rumors are flying again.

A deal for Murphy hasn’t been made, but he helped the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pennant hopes Sunday.

In a rainy game at New York, Murphy hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to beat the Mets, 3-2, and drop them 1 1/2 games behind the Pirates in the National League East.

“I’ve been hearing about the possibilities of being traded for a few years now,” said Murphy, 34, who is in his 15th season with the Braves.

“I’m just trying to get my swing back. I’m feeling better at the plate.”

Murphy is batting .227 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Center fielder Mark Carreon of the Mets had trouble with his footing on Lonnie Smith’s triple that led off the game. Then Dwight Gooden lost his footing on a pitch to the next batter, but it was ruled a passed ball against catcher Todd Hundley.

Ron Gant led off the third with an infield single, stole second, went to third on a grounder and scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth, Glavine slipped on a ball-four delivery to Dave Magadan, then left fielder Smith slipped on Kevin McReynolds’ two-out drive and it sailed over his head for a double. Howard Johnson singled to score McReynolds with the tying run.

Relief pitcher Jeff Innis walked Gant to open the 10th and went to third on Jim Presley’s single to left. Murphy hit the ball hard to left and Gant scored easily after the catch.

Chicago 4, San Francisco 2--Catcher Joe Girardi doubled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth, and the Cubs swept the three-game series with the Giants at Wrigley Field with their seventh consecutive victory.

After the Giants made the score 2-2 in the eighth inning, they had the go-ahead run on second and two out. Left-hander Paul Assenmacher then walked Bill Bathe intentionally to face left-handed hitting Will Clark. Clark struck out.

“I can’t remember any other manager doing that,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said.

St. Louis 6, San Diego 4--Catcher Tom Pagnozzi got the key hit at St. Louis as the Cardinals, last in the East, completed a four-game sweep of the Padres.

With two on and two out in the seventh inning of a 4-4 tie, Pagnozzi drove in two runs with a double to the wall in left-center field.

Houston 3, Montreal 2--Former Dodger Franklin Stubbs beat out a two-out bunt to drive in the winning run in the eighth inning for the Astros at Houston.

“I’ll bet every mouth in the place dropped open,” said Stubbs, whose hit scored Eric Yelding. “They were playing me deep, so I figured with Eric’s speed, it would work.”

Philadelphia 6, Cincinnati 2--Ricky Jordan didn’t get angry when he was hit on the hand by a pitch in the first inning at Cincinnati, he got even.

With the bases loaded in the fifth, Jordan hit a three-run double that gave the Phillies a 5-0 lead over the leaders in the West.

The Reds remained 10 games ahead of the Giants.