NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Swift Wins Again, Giants Sole Leaders

The San Francisco Giants, faced with pitching problems, were expected to finish back in the pack in the National League West. But that was before they unleashed Bill Swift on the rest of the league.

The Giants, with Swift the ace of Manager Roger Craig’s starting staff, are leading the division. They had entered the game tied with the Cincinnati Reds in the NL West, but the Chicago Cubs beat the Reds Saturday.

Although he needed help because of an injury in the seventh inning, Swift improved his record to 5-0 Saturday, when the Giants held off the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1, in San Francisco.

Swift, the league’s first five-game winner, held the Phillies to two hits in six innings, but aggravated a bruised right thumb while batting in the sixth inning.

Craig allowed him to remain in the game for the seventh. But when John Kruk and Dale Sveum hit consecutive singles to open the inning, Kevin Hickerson replaced Swift. After Darren Daulton lined into a double play, Mickey Morandini singled in the Phillies’ run. Dave Righetti gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth but earned his first save.

Swift isn’t expected to miss a turn, but the Giants weren’t taking any chances with their valuable right-hander.

“I was jammed the first time up and it stung a bit,” Swift said. “It’s a hitter’s thing. It got pretty sore. I had trouble squeezing the ball.

“I didn’t feel real good today. I just went out and battled. I wasn’t throwing the ball that hard, just in and out. And they were swinging at them.”

San Francisco took a 1-0 lead in the first, when John Patterson walked, took third on Will Clark’s single and scored on Kevin Bass’ double.

Darren Lewis led off the third with an infield single, went to third on Clark’s single and scored on a groundout by Bass.

Atlanta 3, New York 0--If the Braves ever get Steve Avery in the groove, they might never give up another run at home.

The Braves’ Tom Glavine gave up nine hits Saturday, but he worked out of every jam to pitch his second consecutive shutout and give Atlanta its fifth shutout in its last seven games at Fulton County Stadium.

Avery was pounded in an 8-7 loss Friday night and in the other game in the seven-game span, he won, 3-2.

“I wasn’t as crisp as in the previous shutout,” Glavine said. “The Mets had two baserunners in three of the last four games and I had to tough it out.”

Catcher Greg Olson drove in two runs with opposite-field singles and the Braves beat Dwight Gooden for the first time since 1987.

Gooden, making the transformation from a power pitcher to a finesse pitcher after rotator cuff surgery, fell to 2-2.

Chicago 10, Cincinnati 3--Andre Dawson ended the Cubs’ scoreless streak at 36 innings with a three-run home run in the first inning at Cincinnati and the Cubs scored six more runs in the ninth.

The Cubs had lost four in a row, all shutouts.

Although Mike Morgan (1-2) won his first game as a Cub, he lost most of a 4-0 lead before getting help with two out in the sixth.

Pittsburgh 6, Houston 0--When the Pirates traded John Smiley to Minnesota, they didn’t come up empty handed.

Denny Neagle, who came from the Twins, delivered an impressive performance at Houston. Neagle held the Astros hitless for four innings and gave up only two hits in six innings for his first victory.

Barry Bonds made it easier for Neagle. He singled home a run in the first inning and broke it open with a three-run home run in the seventh. Bonds has eight homers and has driven in 21 runs to help the Pirates (16-6) open a three-game lead in the East.

St. Louis 3, San Diego 0--Rookie Donovan Osborne held the Padres to four hits in 8 1/3 innings at San Diego to win his third game in a row.

When Osborne faltered in the ninth, Lee Smith came in to get the last two outs and his eighth save.