NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Harris Makes Up for Lost Time, Wins, 1-0

Greg Harris saw the downside while spending two months on the disabled list, so he’s not getting too excited now that things are looking up.

Harris pitched a three-hitter Thursday for his second consecutive shutout and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves and John Smoltz, 1-0, at San Diego for their fifth victory in six games.

“I haven’t settled into anything,” Harris said. “It’s not like I’m a five- or six-year veteran that’s been here before, this is my first time. I’m trying to settle my way into the starting rotation. Hopefully I’ll stay there for a long time.

“All I want to do is keep my humility. I’m not about to say I’m one of the better pitchers on the staff or I belong in the rotation, I just want to continue to keep my humility and stay aggressive. If I was to ever win 20 games, and nobody knew who I was, it would be fine with me.”

It was the first time a Padre has pitched consecutive 1-0 complete games, and the first time in the majors since Orel Hershiser did it against the Braves and Houston Astros in September of 1988, during his record-setting streak of 59 scoreless innings.

Harris (4-3), who pitched a six-hitter against Cincinnati on Saturday, struck out six, walked two and held Atlanta hitless the last six innings. He has pitched 21 consecutive scoreless innings and has not allowed an earned run in his last 25 innings.

Harris, who came off the disabled list July 4, had a no-hitter through seven innings at New York on July 14 before finishing with one hit in 8 1/3 innings and a 2-1 victory over the Mets.

On April 23, Harris threw one pitch in a game at San Francisco before leaving with tendinitis in his right elbow. He was placed on the disabled list six days later.

“How many more wins do you think he’d have been worth if we’d had him for three months?” Manager Greg Riddoch asked. “Six or seven? What would six or seven more wins do to us right now?

The Padres moved to within 6 1/2 games of the front-running Dodgers in the NL West, and the Braves remained 1 1/2 games back.

San Diego scored on Oscar Azocar’s run-scoring single in the eighth off Smoltz (8-13), who pitched a four-hitter.

San Francisco 4, Cincinnati 1--The Reds lost their cool and their 25th game in 35 as Paul McClellan gave up one hit in 7 1/3 innings as the Giants won at San Francisco.

The Giants moved to within six games of the Dodgers in the West. The Reds are 8 1/2 games back.

Before the Reds left the dugout for the fourth inning, pitcher Jose Rijo (8-4) exchanged words with third baseman Chris Sabo, and the two had to be restrained by teammates and Manager Lou Piniella. An error by Sabo in the third enabled the Giants to score two unearned runs.

McClellan (3-1) and Dave Righetti combined on a two-hitter, with Righetti getting his 19th save. Carmelo Martinez homered to lead off the Cincinnati sixth.

Will Clark doubled, singled and drove in two runs for the Giants.

Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 4--Dickie Thon hit a three-run double in a five-run fifth inning and the Phillies ended a 14-game losing streak against the Pirates by winning at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates had scored five consecutive come-from-behind victories but couldn’t rally this time, blowing a two-run lead as Neal Heaton (3-2) gave up three runs after relieving rookie starter Hector Fajardo in the fifth.

Pittsburgh was 8-0 against Philadelphia and had not lost to the Phillies since Aug. 5, 1990.

Philadelphia won for the 14th time in 16 games.

Jose DeJesus (9-4) survived Pittsburgh’s three-run first and got his fourth consecutive victory, giving up four runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. Mitch Williams got six outs for his 22nd save.

St. Louis 4, New York 1--Rheal Cormier, in his major league debut, became the Cardinals’ first left-handed starter to win in 121 games, beating the Mets at St. Louis.

The Cardinals are six games behind Pittsburgh in the East.

The Mets have lost seven consecutive games, including three in a row to St. Louis, and 19 of 23.

Cormier gave up a run and seven hits in six innings to become the Cardinals’ first left-handed starter to win since Joe Magrane last Sept. 25. Lee Smith worked the ninth for his league-leading 31st save.

Gerald Perry had a two-run triple in the fifth when Met center fielder Mark Carreon turned the wrong way on the ball.

Chicago 7, Montreal 6--Ryne Sandberg’s sacrifice fly capped a three-run eighth inning and the Cubs avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Expos at Chicago.