NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Reds’ Lead Reduced to 3 1/2 Games

It has not been home sweet home for the Cincinnati Reds.

Joe Carter hit a grand slam with two out in the 11th inning at Cincinnati Saturday night to give the San Diego Padres a 7-3 victory and cut the Reds’ lead in the National League West to 3 1/2 games.

The third loss in a row to the Padres and the 11th in their last 13 games left the Reds with their smallest lead since May 4.

A two-out home run by light-hitting Luis Quinones in the ninth had tied the score for the Reds.

Carter started the Reds’ latest skid last Thursday, when he homered and drove in five runs.

By winning the last two games of a poor trip West, the Reds headed home to play 18 of their next 20 games. They expected to extend their 5 1/2-game lead.

“The team that stays away from mistakes wins,” said Lou Piniella, manager of the Reds. “The last two weeks we have been making the mistakes.”

The biggest mistake in this game was by Rick Mahler. He retired the first two batters in the 10th, but Roberto Alomar doubled. Mahler walked Tony Gwynn intentionally. He also walked Jack Clark before Carter hit his 18th home run of the season.

“I knew I hit it good,” Carter said. “Then, when you see the outfielder’s number on his back, you know it’s going to be trouble.”

Mahler said he was concerned when he fell behind, 2-and-1, to Carter. “There wasn’t any place to put him,” he said. “I threw him a fastball out over the plate. I had to challenge him. He won.”

St. Louis 7, New York 5--The Mets have come from behind 24 times to win this season. The latest was Friday night at St. Louis, when three bloop singles drove in runs in the ninth to win it.

This time they fell short in the ninth, but not without throwing a scare into the Cardinals. Tom Niedenfuer gave up home runs to Tim Teufel and Howard Johnson to cut the margin to two in the ninth.

But Frank DiPino got Darryl Strawberry to fly out to end the game with a runner on base.

“We could have a 10-run lead and lose to the Mets,” said Rex Hudler, who along with Pedro Guerrero hit a two-run homer.

The Cardinals beat Dwight Gooden, who had won eight in a row. He gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings.

“We get to thinking that we can always pull it out,” Manager Bud Harrelson of the Mets said. “I would feel better if we were the team protecting the lead.”

The Mets fell back into a tie for first place with the Pirates.

Chicago 10, Montreal 2--Andre Dawson recovered quickly from a bruised knee that forced him out of Friday’s game at Chicago.

Dawson drove in five runs with a two-run home run and a bases-loaded double as the Cubs handed the Expos their fourth loss in a row and seventh in their last eight games.

Ryne Sandberg had four hits and scored four runs for the Cubs.

The victory was the 14th in the last 19 games for the Cubs. Rookie Shawn Boskie improved to 5-5, but he had to leave after six innings because of a sore elbow.

Houston 6, Atlanta 2--Glenn Wilson hit a two-run home run to put the Astros ahead and Rafael Ramirez hit a three-run home run to cap a five-run fourth inning at Houston.

Francisco Cabrera homered for the Braves.