NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates, Varsho Rout Cubs

When he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1982, Gary Varsho figured he would probably hit his first major league home run at Wrigley Field.

It turned out he figured right, but it was nearly a decade later that he accomplished the feat and after he left the Cubs.

Varsho, a utility outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit two major league home runs Tuesday at Wrigley Field to help the Pirates rout the Cubs, 13-4.

Varsho, playing in front of his family, also had a triple and drove in six runs in a rare start in right field to lead the Pirates’ 22-hit attack.

“I was very excited with the first home run, it meant a lot,” Varsho said. “The second one was great, too. I also enjoyed the triple because I’m a gap hitter.

“I put in a lot of time here, and I always thought my first homer would be here.”

After spending parts of three seasons as a part-time player with the Cubs, Varsho was traded to the Pirates in the spring. He batted more than 200 times in the majors before hitting a home run.

Varsho came into the game with only five runs batted in this season. But in the second inning against Shawn Boskie, Varsho hit a two-run home run. He hit another two-run shot in the seventh.

It may have been a costly loss for the Cubs, who had won three in a row. Hot-hitting Ryne Sandberg jammed his right hand sliding into second base in the first inning and will be out at least a few days.

Bobby Bonilla and Mike LaValliere each had four hits to make it easy for Doug Drabek (7-8). Drabek gave up a run in the first but was tough until the ninth, when he gave up three.

The last time the Pirates had 22 hits in a game was 12 years ago. The club record is 23, set in 1922.

Cincinnati 6, Atlanta 3--Mariano Duncan, a .300 hitter last season, has been having a poor year. He went into this game at Atlanta batting just over .200.

But his third home run and a three-run blast by Chris Sabo helped the surging Reds to their seventh victory in eight games.

While the Reds are putting pressure on the Dodgers in the West, the Braves, playing without two of their best hitters, David Justice and Sid Bream, are slumping.

Despite home runs by Terry Pendleton, Ron Gant and Mike Bell, the Braves lost their fourth in a row and fell below .500 for the first time this season.

Jack Armstrong (6-6) retired the first 13 Braves before Gant hit his 14th home run.

St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 1--Much is being made of the fact that the entire Cardinal team is hitting home runs at a slower pace than Roger Maris did 30 years ago, when he hit 61 home runs.

Manager Joe Torre is completely unconcerned, pointing out his team is in second place in the East.

“I never think about it,” Torre said. “It’s a waste of time. We play in a big park, but we have the power to hit them on the road.”

In a rare feat, Ray Lankford and Pedro Guerrero hit home runs on consecutive pitches at Philadelphia to make it easy for Ken Hill (8-5).

New York 2, Montreal 1--A lifetime .300 hitter, Dave Magadan has struggled below .250 this season.

Magadan isn’t sure it was an indication that he’s out of his slump when he singled home Kevin Elster with two out in the ninth at Montreal to hand the skidding Expos their eighth loss in a row.

“It’s going to take lots more than one or two hits to get me back on track,” he said. “I’m going to have to test my patience and not get too excited over one hit.”

The victory went to former Dodger Alejandro Pena (5-0), who pitched a scoreless eighth. John Franco pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Houston 8, San Francisco 4--Jeff Bagwell homered and drove in four runs at San Francisco to help Mark Portugal continue his mastery of the Giants.

Portugal (7-4) had lost two in a row, but he held the Giants to five hits in seven innings to improve his lifetime record against them to 8-1.

The Astros scored four runs in the second inning to beat Bud Black (6-7). Black is winless since June 6.