NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Bonds’ Fourth Home Run Powers Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates, who have unloaded such high-priced stars as Bobby Bonilla and John Smiley, keep saying they will keep Barry Bonds.

Bonds feared that with Bonilla gone to the New York Mets he wouldn’t see many good pitches to hit.

It hasn’t worked that way. Bonds hit a three-run home run Sunday at Philadelphia to back Zane Smith’s pitching and lead the Pirates to a 6-1 victory.

Bonds has four home runs in six games, including one in each of the last three games. He has driven in seven runs and is batting .294.

The left-handed hitting Bonds hit his home run against perhaps his favorite left-hander, Terry Mulholland (0-2). Bonds is five for 16 against Mulholland with four home runs and eight runs batted in.

“I’m not surprised at his start,” Pirate Manager Jim Leyland said. “He comes to training camp and he’s a thing of beauty the way he works.”

Smith, who went seven innings to beat Montreal in his first start, went the distance, gave up only five hits, struck out six and walked none.

Montreal 8, New York 2--Not since their expansion season in 1962, when they lost 120 games, had the Mets lost their first three home games.

But when Bret Saberhagen turned in his second consecutive poor effort, the Mets had been swept in their opening series at Shea Stadium.

Saberhagen, who gave up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in his National League debut Tuesday night at St. Louis, was only slightly better. He lasted 4 2/3 innings, but still gave up seven runs.

Ivan Calderon, who faced Saberhagen many times in the American League, hit a home run and drove in four runs for the Expos.

“Sooner or later, I’ll win, but I hope it’s before I get chased out of New York,” Saberhagen said. “The fans are tough and expect you to perform up to your capability. I haven’t.”

Atlanta 6, San Francisco 2--The Braves’ Tom Glavine is only 26, so the Cy Young Award winner expects to keep improving.

The left-hander was within two outs of his second consecutive shutout, before needing help in the ninth at Atlanta to go 2-0.

Glavine struck out six and walked none.

“I wanted the shutout, but I got tired in the eighth and ninth innings,” Glavine said.

“You don’t get many opportunities for shutouts, so I didn’t want to come out, but I wasn’t fooling anybody in the last two innings.”

Said San Francisco Manager Roger Craig: “Glavine’s not overpowering, but he knows how to pitch. His breaking ball and change were deadly.”

Glavine threw 115 pitches and had to sit through a 37-minute rain delay in the fourth inning.

Ron Gant hit a three-run home run during the seventh inning, ensuring the Braves of a 4-2 start.

Chicago 4, St. Louis 2--Hector Villanueva is listed at 220 pounds in the Cubs’ media guide, but he acknowledges weighing 250.

The Cubs needed all the power he had at frigid Wrigley Field. The temperature was 35 degrees and a 20-m.p.h. wind blowing in lowered the wind-chill factor to 15 degrees.

Villanueva came up with two on and the Cubs trailing 2-1 in the seventh and, despite the wind, hit a home run against Omar Olivares.

“It’s not as cold when you win,” Villanueva said after hitting his 21st major league home run and first of the season.

He impressed Manager Joe Torre of the Cardinals. “He’s strong and he killed it,” Torre said.

Cincinnati 5, Houston 4--Bill Doran doubled in two runs during the fourth inning at Houston and pitcher Tom Browning capped the winning rally with a sacrifice fly.

Pete Harnisch took a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning, but lost his second in a row.

Browning gave up eight hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings, but the rally gave him a 2-0 record.

Jeff Bagwell, batting .400, hit his first home run of the season for the Astros’ final run in the ninth.