NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Reds Help Themselves to Another Victory, 7-5

The Cincinnati Reds did not ease up after embarrassing the Dodgers during the weekend.

The Reds took advantage of some sloppy pitching and a bobbled grounder by the San Francisco Giants and scored four runs during the fifth inning of a 7-5 victory Monday night at Cincinnati.

The Reds won their fourth consecutive game and their 16th in 20 by overcoming a 4-1 deficit. Chris Sabo drove in two runs with a double against Bud Black to tie the score, and Dave Martinez produced the go-ahead run with a pinch sacrifice fly against Mike Jackson (2-2).

As they did against the Dodgers, the Reds turned lapses into leads.

“If we get a little opening, we’re taking advantage of it,” Hal Morris said. “We’ve been fortunate that way the last three or four days. We’ve been able to capitalize when somebody walked or reached on an error. That’s why you go on streaks.”

The Reds moved a season-high 12 games over .500 and maintained their lead of 3 1/2 games over the Atlanta Braves.

The Giants have given up 67 earned runs in their 13 games in June.

Tom Browning (5-4) gave up four runs during the third and lasted five innings. He gave up eight hits, but the Reds’ comeback enabled him to earn only his second victory since April 28.

Norm Charlton gave up two hits in two innings for his 15th save.

Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 1--Terry Mulholland gave up only five hits at Pittsburgh as the Phillies ended the Pirates’ five-game winning streak.

The Pirates had won six of seven and 10 of 13 and were coming off of a 5-1 trip to Philadelphia and New York.

Mulholland (6-4) won for the sixth time in his last seven decisions.

Zane Smith (5-5), winless in his last seven starts, gave up first-inning run-scoring singles to John Kruk and Mariano Duncan and an eighth-inning solo homer to Dave Hollins.

The Pirates’ Jeff King became the fifth major leaguer to be caught stealing twice in an inning. He was trapped off of first by catcher Darren Daulton’s pick-off throw after singling during the fifth, but was safe when Mulholland was called for interference. King, officially charged with a caught stealing on the play, later was thrown out attempting to steal third as Steve Buechele struck out.

Chicago 7, St. Louis 1--Greg Maddux pitched a four-hitter and drove in two runs at Chicago to lead the Cubs.

Hector Villanueva emerged from a slump with a three-run homer and a double as the Cubs won their fifth consecutive game, the club’s longest winning streak since May 22-26, 1991.

The Cardinals have lost 13 of 18 overall and seven of 10 to the Cubs this year.

Maddux (7-6) improved to 3-0 against the Cardinals this season. Bob Tewksbury (6-2), who entered the game with the NL’s best ERA at 2.00, gave up five runs, four of them earned, nine hits and one walk in six innings.

Montreal 4, New York 1--Mark Gardner and John Wetteland combined on a three-hitter at New York to hand the Mets their fifth consecutive loss.

The Mets lost for the ninth time in 11 games and are only half a game ahead of the last-place Expos in the NL East.

Gardner (5-5), who beat the Mets five days ago in Montreal, gave up two hits, struck out five and walked six in seven innings. He also began a two-run fifth inning with a triple. Wetteland pitched two innings for his 10th save.

San Diego 7, Houston 1--Craig Lefferts pitched seven shutout innings to lead the Padres at Houston.

Lefferts (8-4) gave up seven hits, struck out three and walked two. He left after Eric Anthony doubled and Scott Servais singled with two out in the eighth.

Lefferts, who started five games for the Chicago Cubs in 1983, was moved out of the bullpen after the Padres acquired Randy Myers during the winter. Lefferts had made 12 previous starts this year.