NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Magic Number for Braves Has Become Zero

Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium has always been a hitter’s park. The ball carries well and the fences are not too distant.

With the pitching staff the Braves are developing, it is becoming a hitter’s park only for the home team.

John Smoltz gave up seven hits and struck out nine Wednesday in an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. It was the third consecutive shutout at Atlanta and fourth in a five-game winning streak.

Last Sunday the Astros scored twice in a 3-2 loss.

The Braves hammered out 12 hits, including a three-run home run by Damon Berryhill, and knocked out luckless Danny Jackson (0-4) in the fifth inning. Jackson hasn’t won in his last 14 starts, and the Cubs have lost six of their last seven.

Chicago was shut out by Charlie Leibrandt and two relievers on three hits Tuesday night, and Tom Glaviano pitched a two-hitter against the Cubs Monday night. Smoltz extended the shutout string to 33 innings, a franchise record.

Against Houston Saturday, Steve Avery pitched a four-hitter to end the defending league champions’ four-game losing streak.

Smoltz (2-2) had not been pitching well. He had lost two in a row and had not won since his first start, April 8.

“I’m just trying to keep up,” Smoltz, who struggled early last season, too, said. “We have an inner competition. You can’t do any better than a shutout, so I was just trying to duplicate what they had done.”

The Atlanta park yielded 156 home runs last season, 83 of them by the Braves. Only Wrigley Field (Chicago) and Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati) gave up more.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever managed three consecutive shutouts before,” Manager Bobby Cox of the Braves said. “All I know is that it’s a pretty good feeling sitting in the dugout.”

Otis Nixon had three hits and scored two runs. He’s batting .375 in the six games since rejoining the team from a 60-day suspension because of drugs.

New York 1, Houston 0--Bret Saberhagen pitched a three-hitter at New York for his first victory and stretched his scoreless string to 21 innings.

After giving up 19 runs in three poor starts, Saberhagen pitched nine scoreless innings against St. Louis last Thursday without a decision.

Wednesday, Eddie Murray doubled in the first inning and scored the only run.

Saberhagen had a one-hitter going into the ninth inning and survived two hits in the last inning. He struck out nine and walked one.

David Cone pitched a one-hitter against the slumping Astros Tuesday night, and Saberhagen charted the pitches.

“It’s tough to learn anything from a game in which David has stuff like that,” Saberhagen said.

St. Louis 2, San Francisco 1--Rex Hudler was looking for an edge in the 12th inning at San Francisco, and when he found it he took advantage of it.

Hudler opened the inning with an infield hit, was sacrificed to second and raced to third on relief pitcher Dave Righetti’s wild pitch. When catcher Kirt Manwaring’s throw to third bounded past Matt Williams, Hudler easily made it home.

It was the second extra-inning victory in a row for the Cardinals and their third in a row on the trip West.

Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 0--Zane Smith (4-1) pitched a four-hitter and did not permit a Red to reach third base. Tim Belcher (1-3) served up a two-run opposite-field home run in the second inning at Cincinnati.

San Diego 7, Montreal 2--Fred McGriff tripled home two runs in a five-run fifth inning at San Diego that carried the Padres to their second victory in a row.

The Expos, who have lost three in a row, have lost all 12 games they have played at night this season.