NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braves in a Blue Mood Despite Comeback Win

The Atlanta Braves had just made their biggest comeback of the year to defeat the Montreal Expos, 14-9, Monday, but the mood was somber in the Atlanta locker room.

“We’d have liked to see the Dodgers lose,” said Jeff Blauser, who hit the first grand slam of his career for the Braves.

After blowing opportunities to move into a tie with the Dodgers by losing 6-5 games to the Phillies Saturday and Sunday while the Dodgers were losing to the Cardinals, the Braves thought their chances finally had come in front of their home crowd when they held a comfortable lead late in the game, and the Dodgers trailed, 3-0, going into the ninth.

But the Dodgers rallied to win it, 4-3, leaving the Braves blue.

“But we’ve got lots of time left,” said Dave Justice, whose two-run homer in the sixth put the Braves ahead, 8-7, after they had trailed, 7-1, in the fifth inning.

Rookie Mark Wohlers (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two and walking two. Bill Sampen (6-4), who relieved Montreal starter Chris Haney following Blauser’s grand slam, took the loss.

Cincinnati 5, Philadelphia 4--The Phillies are going to have to finish the season without Lenny Dykstra.

Dykstra broke his right collarbone when he made a spectacular catch and ran full-speed into the outfield wall at Riverfront Stadium. The catch only temporarily held off the Reds, who went on to win on Chris Sabo’s two-run homer in the fifth.

Dykstra led off the third, took a strike from Mo Sanford, then made a wild swing at the next pitch. He immediately took himself out of the game, slamming his helmet to the ground before heading down the clubhouse tunnel.

X-rays at Christ Hospital found the fracture, which will sideline him for the rest of the season.

San Diego 7, Pittsburgh 5--Tony Gwynn is not supposed to hit home runs.

But then the Pirates, owners of the National League’s best record, aren’t supposed to lose at home after leading with two outs in the ninth and their closer on the mound.

Gwynn’s homer, his fourth, followed Tony Fernandez’s one-out single off Bill Landrum (1-4). Bob Kipper then replaced Landrum and promptly gave up his sixth homer in 50 2/3 innings. The Padres had tied the score on Jack Howell’s two-out pinch-single in the ninth.

With one out in the 10th, Landrum gave up Fernandez’s single, and Manager Jim Leyland replaced him with the left-handed Kipper to face the left-handed hitting Gwynn, who homered on an 0-2 pitch.

Craig Lefferts (1-5) pitched the final two innings for his first victory since Sept. 15, 1990.

St. Louis 7, San Francisco 6--Ozzie Smith’s two-run homer keyed an early burst, then the Cardinals had to withstand two homers and five RBIs by Will Clark to beat the Giants at St. Louis.

Clark’s two-homer game was his second in a month and eighth of his career. The San Francisco first baseman, the National League’s RBI leader with 101, has 27 homers.

Reliever Cris Carpenter (10-3) took over to start the sixth inning. Lee Smith pitched the ninth for his league-leading 36th save.

Ozzie Smith’s homer, the 21st of his career, was off Bud Black (9-13), who lost his fourth straight decision.

New York 6, Houston 4--Mackey Sasser had three hits, including a 10th-inning double that drove in the decisive run, at Houston in the victory by the Mets.

John Franco (3-7) pitched two scoreless innings. Dwayne Henry (3-2) gave up the Mets’ 10th-inning runs.

Keith Miller walked with one out in the 10th and moved to second on an infield single by Howard Johnson. Sasser then doubled in Miller, and Rick Cerone singled in Johnson.