NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Comeback Lifts Expos in the 10th

The Montreal Expos keep trying to make it a three-team race in the National League East. The way the youngsters are improving, they might just do it.

Wednesday night at Montreal, after blowing an early lead and giving up three runs in the top of the 10th to the division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates, it appeared the Expos would drop seven games behind.

Undaunted, the Expos battled back to win, 8-7. In the 10th, Andres Galarraga singled in one run and Marquis Grissom hit a three-run home run with one out. The victory put the Expos five games behind the Pirates.

The Pirates had taken a 7-4 lead in the 10th when Jose Lind and Andy Van Slyke had run-scoring singles and Sid Bream added a sacrifice fly. Rookie Bill Sampen (8-2), who was on the mound when the Pirates scored the last two runs, wound up the winner.

The Pirates scored four runs in the last three innings of regulation to lead, 4-3, until the bottom of the ninth when Grissom, 23, singled and scored the tying run on a double by another inexperienced player, Junior Noboa, 25.

San Diego 2-10, Cincinnati 1-4--The Padres, after being in a slump for more than a month, have finally found a team they can beat--the team that is leading the West.

By sweeping this doubleheader at San Diego, the Padres beat the Reds for the third time in a row. It has been more than a month since the Padres won three in a row.

Ed Whitson went 7 1/3 innings to win the opener. In the second game, winning pitcher Calvin Schiraldi hit the second home run of his career.

New York 10, Philadelphia 9--Dave Magadan and Darryl Strawberry hit two-run home runs at Philadelphia and Kevin McReynolds and Gregg Jefferies each added two-run triples.

Although they had a 10-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, the Mets almost blew it.

Before a batter was retired in the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies had seven consecutive singles, cutting the lead to 10-8. Then, with runners on first and third, the Mets brought in John Franco.

Franco walked John Kruk to load the bases. Lenny Dykstra then hit into a double play, with one run scoring and the potential tying run reaching third. But Tommy Herr, who opened the inning with a single, hit a liner that shortstop Mario Diaz snared to end it.

St. Louis 9, Chicago 0--John Tudor, given an eight-run cushion in the first inning, pitched a five-hitter at St. Louis for his first shutout in more than two years. He improved his record to 9-3.

Vince Coleman, who had four hits and four steals Tuesday night, started the Cardinals off with a single and his 53rd steal. Coleman singled again in the inning to give him six hits in a row.

Houston 5, Atlanta 1--Danny Darwin held the Braves to five hits at Atlanta, won his third start in a row and struck out 10 to earn the Astros’ third road victory in their last 26 games.