NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates Shake Road Slump, Beat Phillies, 5-3

The Pittsburgh Pirates, who had lost six in a row on the road, finally got a victory away from Pittsburgh, beating the Phillies, 5-3, Tuesday night at Philadelphia.

Of the recent road futility, which included nine losses in 10 games, Manager Jim Leyland said: “That’s strange for us. I’ve always been proud to take my club on the road. We could win anywhere. I don’t believe in that hard-to-win-on-the-road stuff. If you play quality baseball, it doesn’t matter where you play.”

Andy Van Slyke, who drove in three runs with a single and double to lead the Pirates, said: “We’ve struggled on the road, and it’s obvious this club has to turn that around.”

Doug Drabek (5-4) gave up seven hits, struck out five and walked two, both intentional, in six innings. He threw 117 pitches.

“I wasn’t sharp,” Drabek said. “The guys gave me an early lead, but I gradually gave it back. The relievers did a good job.”

Bob Patterson, Roger Mason and Denny Neagle relieved, with Neagle getting his first major league save.

Mike Hartley (2-1), the third of five Philadelphia pitchers, took the loss when the Pirates scored two unearned runs during the sixth inning. Rookie Ben Rivera lasted 2 1/3 innings in his first major league start, giving up only one run, but walking five.

Pittsburgh broke a 3-3 tie against Hartley on Van Slyke’s two-out, two-run double during the sixth, set up when shortstop Dale Sveum failed to touch second base on what appeared to be a double-play ball. Phillie Manager Jim Fregosi was ejected by umpire Joe West during a vigorous protest of West’s call.

New York 6, Montreal 5--Chico Walker’s pinch-hit single with the bases loaded during the ninth inning drove home the winning run as the Mets edged the Expos at Montreal.

The Expos had rallied from a 5-1 deficit to tie the score during the eighth inning. Converted infielder Howard Johnson, playing in center field, hauled in a line drive to right-center field by Archi Cianfrocco to end the rally.

“I had a good jump on the play, although I was playing him the other way,” Johnson said. “If I don’t catch it, I have to try and stop it on one bounce.”

Said Cianfrocco: “It was a do-or-die play. We had something going, the crowd was really cheering and we had a good chance of scoring the winning run. But Johnson took the wind out of everybody.”

John Franco (4-0) got the final four outs.

St. Louis 6, Chicago 5--Todd Zeile singled home the winning run with two out in the 11th inning at St. Louis.

Ozzie Smith singled with one out in the 11th and Bernard Gilkey followed with his fourth hit of the game. After Felix Jose flied out, Zeile singled to left field against Bob Scanlan (1-3) to drive in Smith.

Gilkey has eight hits in his last two games. Smith and Jose added three hits apiece in St. Louis’ 17-hit attack, the team’s season high.

Cris Carpenter (3-2), who pitched one scoreless inning, was the winner.

Cincinnati 3, San Francisco 2--Bill Doran doubled home Hal Morris with the go-ahead run at San Francisco to ruin Dave Righetti’s first start in nine years.

Righetti, who holds the major league record for saves by a left-hander with 251, lasted five innings, giving up three hits and two runs and striking out four. He threw 58 pitches, 41 for strikes.

Righetti was making his first start since Sept. 16, 1983, when he pitched for the New York Yankees. Since then, he made 522 consecutive relief appearances, with his longest outing four innings on May 1, 1985, with the Yankees.

San Diego 5, Houston 4--Dan Walters hit his first major league home run and had three RBIs as the Padres beat the Astros at San Diego.

With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Walters hit a grounder to third baseman Ken Caminiti, who tried to turn a double play. Walters beat the relay throw to first, Gary Sheffield scoring the tie-breaking run.