NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Not Even the Reds’ Best Can Halt Slump, 8-7

When Rob Dibble, perhaps baseball’s best relief pitcher, can’t do the job, the Cincinnati Reds are in serious trouble.

Dibble, who had come through in 24 consecutive save situations, failed Tuesday night at Cincinnati and the stumbling Reds lost, 8-7, to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ozzie Smith lined a two-run single to right-center field in the ninth inning and the Reds, losing their eighth game in a row, fell into third place in the National League West.

Dibble, trying to protect a 6-5 lead, gave up an infield hit to Milt Thompson, who went to third on Bernard Gilkey’s single to right. Gilkey stole second before Smith hit a 1-and-2 two pitch. Lee Smith then pitched a scoreless ninth for his 25th save.

“We’ve lost them about every way,” Manager Lou Piniella said. “But this hurt even more than the others.”

Said Manager Joe Torre of the Cardinals: “With Dibble out there, it looked like their losing streak was over.”

The Reds already knew the Dodgers had lost again.

“I hung a slider to Ozzie. A terrible pitch,” Dibble said. “I get paid to do my job, and I didn’t do it.

“It has been frustrating watching the guys battle and keep losing. Then I have a chance to end the agony and don’t do it. I’m disgusted with myself.”

Smith said it was probably the first hit he ever had had against Dibble.

The Reds blew leads of four runs and two runs before their ace blew the save.

Hal Morris’ home run against former Angel Willie Fraser (2-0) had given the Reds the lead in the eighth.

The Reds’ Chris Sabo drove in four runs with a double and a home run. The double sparked a four-run first inning.

Pittsburgh 6, Houston 4--The Pirates are asserting themselves as the best team in the league.

At Pittsburgh, they stretched their latest winning streak to seven games and maintained their 4 1/2-game lead in the East.

Not surprisingly, they did it with home run power. The surprise was who supplied the power.

Jose Gonzalez, who was hitless in all 28 of his at-bats this season before the Dodgers traded him to the Pirates last month, hit his first home run, in the third inning. Gary Varsho hit a pinch two-run home run in the sixth to put the Pirates ahead to stay.

Zane Smith (10-6) gave up six hits and three runs, only one of which was earned), in six innings.

Starter Jim Deshaies of the Astros made only three pitches. His third resulted in a line drive that hit the left-hander in the left forearm. X-rays determined no break, but he left the game.

Atlanta 8, Chicago 5--With the Reds in disarray, the team that seems ready to challenge the Dodgers in the West is the Braves.

Ron Gant singled in the go-ahead run during a three-run seventh inning that brought the Braves from behind to their fifth victory in six games.

The Braves, who were 9 1/2 games behind the Dodgers at the All-Star break, moved into second place, 4 1/2 games back.

The Cubs had won four in a row, largely because of George Bell’s hitting.

But with the Cubs leading, 5-4, in the seventh, left fielder Bell dropped a fly ball for a two-base error that eventually resulted in three runs.

Juan Berenguer pitched two perfect innings, striking out two to get his 14th save.

Ryne Sandberg hit his 14th home run for the Cubs in the third.

New York 6, San Francisco 4--Dave Magadan emerged from a season-long slump to get four singles at New York and drove in two runs as the Mets ended the Giants’ three-game winning streak.

Dwight Gooden (9-6) lost his shutout when Kevin Mitchell hit the first pitch of the sixth inning for his 16th home run.

Gooden gave up eight hits and needed help when the first two Giants in the seventh singled.

Despite winning for the 11th time in 13 games, the Mets remained 4 1/2 games behind the Pirates.

San Diego 4, Montreal 3--Tony Fernandez doubled in three runs during a four-run seventh inning rally at Montreal that brought the Padres from behind.

The Expos, who took a 3-0 lead for Mark Gardner, lost for the first time since the All-Star break after winning six in a row.

The late Padre rally enabled Bruce Hurst to improve to 10-5.