NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Hill Stays on Top With Second Shutout Against Mets

The only hit the New York Mets got against Ken Hill caused quite a controversy.

Hill pitched a one-hitter and shut out the Mets for the second time as the Expos defeated New York, 6-0, Monday night at Montreal.

The only hit against Hill was losing pitcher Anthony Young’s infield single to shortstop with two out in the fifth inning.

Shortstop Tom Foley ranged to his right and might have thrown Young out, had he made the play, but he bobbled the ball. Official scorer Bob Mann said he ruled the play a single because the ball was hit deep into the hole.

“If Foley had come up cleanly, he would have thrown him out,” Hill said. “But I’m just happy to win. I felt real on. I don’t know what it’s about with the Mets, but I have good success against them.”

Several Expos disagreed with Mann’s call and made motions to the press box after the game ended.

The Mets were shut out for the second consecutive game and for the ninth time in 56 games this season. New York, which has lost eight of 11 games to fall to .500, was shut out nine times all of last season.

Hill, who struck out eight and walked four, beat the Mets, 4-0, with a four-hitter at New York on April 10.

“I don’t know what it is. It’s just one of those things why I pitch well against the Mets,” Hill said. “It makes it easier when you get ahead of the hitters like I did tonight.”

Hill improved to 6-1 lifetime against the Mets.

The Expos scored two runs in the fourth inning against Young (2-4). Larry Walker doubled with one out and Archi Cianfrocco delivered a run-scoring single with two outs.

Cincinnati 4, San Francisco 1--After giving up a leadoff homer to Darren Lewis, Greg Swindell (5-2) pitched eight-plus innings for the Reds at San Francisco.

Chris Sabo homered and drove in two runs for the Reds, who have won 11 of 14 and lead the NL West by 2 1/2 games.

Swindell gave up eight hits.

Cory Snyder led off the ninth with a double, and Rob Dibble got the last three outs for his eighth save.

San Diego 3, Houston 2--Bruce Hurst, backed by homers from Tony Gwynn and Darrin Jackson, pitched a four-hitter to beat Padre nemesis Pete Harnisch at San Diego.

Gwynn broke a 2-2 tie with one out in the seventh with his fifth homer. Jackson hit a two-run homer in the fourth as the Padres won for only the second time in seven games.

Hurst (6-4) won his third consecutive game and fifth in his last six, four of which have been complete games. He struck out six and walked two.

In his previous five starts, Hurst had thrown two shutouts, including a one-hitter against the New York Mets, and compiled a 1.93 earned-run average.

Harnisch (3-6) had dominated the Padres in four previous starts, going 2-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. His ERA against the Padres rose to 1.00.

Philadelphia 7, Pittsburgh 0--Curt Schilling pitched a three-hitter for his first major league shutout and doubled in two runs in a six-run second inning at Philadelphia.

Schilling (5-3) struck out one and issued an intentional walk as the Phillies handed the Pirates their sixth consecutive road loss and ninth in the last 10. It also was Schilling’s first complete game in 10 big league starts with Baltimore and Philadelphia. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 20.

Mariano Duncan hit a three-run homer in the second inning against Vicente Palacios (3-1).

Darren Daulton of the Phillies hit his ninth homer in the seventh inning, his fifth in the last five games.

Chicago 5-6, St. Louis 2-4--The Cubs swept a doubleheader at St. Louis. In the first game, Gary Scott and Jose Vizcaino, each batting under .200, had big hits during a four-run 13th-inning.

Scott, batting .109, hit the first pitch of the 13th from Juan Agosto (2-4) for a ground-rule double and advanced on a sacrifice. Agosto then hit Jerome Walton with a pitch before Vizcaino, batting .181, singled up the middle.

Jim Bullinger homered for the Cubs against Rheal Cormier in his first major league at-bat.

In the second game, the Cardinals closed to 5-4 on a run-scoring single by Ozzie Smith in the eighth, but the Cubs added a run in the ninth.