NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Glavine Shows Braves That He’s Ready to Go

Early in spring training, the Atlanta Braves were worried because Tom Glavine, who won 20 games last season, had a shoulder injury.

There was no need for concern, though, because the left-hander was ready to open the season.

Glavine pitched and batted the Braves to a 2-0 victory Tuesday night at Houston as they opened defense of their National League championship.

Glavine, the 1991 Cy Young Award winner, pitched a two-hitter and scored the game’s first run in the eighth inning.

Glavine singled to right with one out. He stopped at third on Deion Sanders’ double, then scored on a fly ball by Terry Pendleton. Ron Gant’s double scored Sanders.

In 12 previous starts against the Astros, Glavine was 0-8. But this time, the Astros were overmatched. Glavine struck out nine and walked two. He needed only 103 pitches.

“I felt a lot like I did last year,” Glavine said. “It was a typical outing. I wasn’t real sharp at the start, and then I began to feel comfortable.”

The Astros are hoping to duplicate the feat of the Braves, who went from last in 1990 to first. The Astros were last in 1991.

St. Louis 9, New York 2--While pitching for the Kansas City Royals in 1985 in two World Series games against the Cardinals, Bret Saberhagen yielded only one earned run in 18 innings.

In his first game in the National League as a Met, Saberhagen struggled.

The Cardinals scored seven runs in two innings. Ten of the first 15 batters reached base. Todd Zeile had a two-run double and Milt Thompson, who drove in five runs, had a bases-loaded triple.

Omar Olivares, who had two of the 13 Cardinal hits, pitched a strong seven innings and is 3-0 lifetime against the Mets.

Cincinnati 4, San Diego 2--Second baseman Bill Doran, batting below .200 in spring training, started the season on the bench. But when Chris Sabo suffered a sprained ankle during the second inning at Cincinnati, Doran got into the game.

Doran made the most of his chance. He hit a home run and a bases-loaded single to spark the Reds to victory.

Tom Browning gave up five hits in eight innings to get the victory. The only damage against the veteran left-hander was Fred McGriff’s two-run home run.

Browning also had two hits and scored two runs.

Chicago 4, Philadelphia 3--Mark Grace hit a two-run home run at Philadelphia to spoil the Phillies’ opener.

Greg Maddux went seven innings, settling down after giving up three runs in the first three innings.

Maddux, the winningest pitcher in the league over the last four seasons, gave up only one single after the third inning.