NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gwynn Hits Early, Beats Expos Late

Although he seldom gets off to a good start, Tony Gwynn has a lifetime batting average of .329. Before last season he won three consecutive National League batting titles.

The San Diego Padres’ right fielder is out to make amends for his .309 average of last season.

Gwynn drove in his third run with his third hit Saturday at Montreal to give the Padres a 6-5 victory in 13 innings. Gwynn raised his average to .340.

His second hit in the eighth inning enabled the Padres to get even and send the game into extra innings.

Fred McGriff homered in the 11th to put the Padres ahead, 5-4, but with two out in the bottom of the inning, Ivan Calderon homered to tie the score again.

Gwynn’s single scored Bip Roberts from second base and spoiled the debut of Montreal rookie Jeff Fessero.

“Normally, I’m not a good early season hitter,” Gwynn said. “At this time I’m struggling to find my swing. Maybe this means I’ll have a good season.

“I’m trying to avoid real highs and real lows. I just want to go at a steady pace.”

After Montreal knocked out Eric Nolte with a three-run first inning, the Padre bullpen held the Expos to one earned run in the last 12 innings. Rick Rodriguez pitched the last two innings for the victory.

New York 6, San Francisco 4--The Mets showed some power at New York to pull this one out. With the departure of Darryl Strawberry, the club has had to scratch for runs this season.

But consecutive pinch home runs by Mackey Sasser and Mark Carreon in the ninth inning extended the game.

Howard Johnson, trying to fight his way out of a season-long slump, won it with his fifth home run in the 11th inning, a two-run blast with two out. The home run raised Johnson’s average to .200.

Carreon’s home run was his third this season and he set a club record with his eighth pinch home run.

Cincinnati 3, St. Louis 1--Chris Sabo and Barry Larkin hit home runs at Cincinnati and Jack Armstrong ran his record against the Cardinals to 3-0.

Rob Dibble, who is appealing his four-day suspension, made sure the Cardinals didn’t strike in the late innings again.

Dibble retired the last five batters, three on strikes, to get his sixth save in six opportunities.

Eric Davis, who had missed a week because of a pulled hamstring, singled in a run and stole two bases.

Houston 8, Pittsburgh 3--John Smiley didn’t expect to win every game, but he didn’t expect to be treated so rudely by the weak-hitting Astros at Pittsburgh.

The Astros, who came into the game with a team batting average of .220 and had scored only 56 runs in 21 games, jumped on Smiley (4-1) for five runs in the second inning.

Luis Gonzalez’s two-run triple was the big blow off Smiley. Just before Gonzalez’s triple, Jeff Bagwell lined a single off Smiley’s elbow on his pitching arm.

Mark McLemore, who was four for 44 this season, went three for four and drove in a run.

Atlanta 4, Chicago 2--David Justice broke a fifth-inning tie at Atlanta with a two-run double and the Braves beat Rick Sutcliffe for the eighth time in the last nine decisions.

The Braves won their third in a row and the slumping Cubs lost for the 10th time in 13 road games.