NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Bonds (101 RBIs) Still the MVP for Pirates

As the Pittsburgh Pirates near another title in the National League East, Barry Bonds continues to be a strong candidate to repeat as the most valuable player.

Bonds hit his 23rd home run and a single and drove in two runs Tuesday night at Pittsburgh to power the Pirates to a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The Pirates stretched their lead over St. Louis to 10 1/2 games. They have 17 games remaining and their magic number is eight.

Bonds increased his RBI total to 101 and became the first Pirate since Willie Stargell in 1972-73 to drive in 100 runs in successive seasons.

Bonds, who has been frustrated lately because teams are pitching around him, finally got to swing the bat and it paid off. When he drove in his 100th run, he was given a standing ovation by the 18,152 fans.

Teams have walked Bonds intentionally with runners on first and second and also with nobody on base.

It will be a well-rested Pirate team that faces the winner of the hot race in the West, where the Dodgers and Atlanta are wearing each other out.

Steve Buechele, who gives the Pirates a solid third baseman, also helped Doug Drabek improve his record to 14-13. Buechele had a double and a two-run triple, driving in three runs.

Buechele has been batting behind Bonds and he knows how the slugger feels.

“I’d pitch around Barry, too, no matter who bats behind him,” Buechele said. “He’s just a great player.”

Manager Jim Leyland said, “There’s no question he’s being pitched around. I’m sure it’s affecting him. I think it’s more emotional than anything. He’s disturbed that they won’t pitch to him and he hasn’t always been ready when they do. He was tonight.”

Drabek, who lost six of his first seven starts, is now pitching as well as any Pirate starter.

The Cubs, with Andre Dawson sitting out a one-game suspension for making incidental contact with an umpire, had four singles in the first inning and didn’t score.

Philadelphia 4, St. Louis 2--Cliff Brantley pitched seven strong innnings at Philadelphia for his first major league victory. In his second start, he gave up six hits. Mitch Williams pitched two shutout innings for his 28th save.

Ken Hill had the Phillies shut out on three hits through five innings, but wildness led to three runs in the sixth. Two walks, a wild pitch and two hits accounted for the runs.

Ray Lankford, a hot hitter lately, singled leading off the first and third innings and Todd Zeile drove him home each time.

Montreal 5-2, New York 4-3--It was not on the Mets’ home schedule, so the doubleheader at New York drew only 4,355.

The games were shifted from Montreal because of damage to Olympic Stadium.

Rookie Bret Barberie drove in three runs with a double and two singles in the opener. Howard Johnson hit his league-leading 35th homer in the nightcap to get the Mets a split.

Johnson hit a two-run home run off rookie Chris Haney in the third inning and took over the RBI lead with 106.

Houston 3, San Diego 0--The Padres lost the game and their best pitcher in the first inning at San Diego.

After giving up three runs, left-hander Bruce Hurst (15-8) left the game because of an inflamed elbow. He injured it making a throw to first after fielding a grounder.

Pete Harnisch (10-9) held the Padres to four hits in six innings.

Houston left fielder Luis Gonzalez reached over the fence to rob Oscar Azocar of a two-run homer.