NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Phillies Beat Cubs, 4-1, but Lose Mulholland

Manager Jim Fregosi believed he had a decent five-man rotation for the Philadelphia Phillies when he went into training camp.

By the time the season opened, he had lost all but left-hander Terry Mulholland. When Mulholland was hit hard in his first five starts, the Phillies were in serious trouble.

Mulholland turned it around and for two months has been one of the top pitchers in the majors. But he was injured Saturday night at Philadelphia during another strong performance and now all five original starters are missing.

Mulholland held the hot Chicago Cubs to three hits in seven innings in a 4-1 victory for the Phillies, but while getting the last out in the seventh suffered a broken little finger on his pitching hand.

Mulholland knocked down Andre Dawson’s smash and threw him out to end the inning. Instead of coming out for the eighth, Mulholland went to the hospital.

“There was no question of his finishing after I looked at his hand,” Fregosi said. “It didn’t look good, but they say it isn’t a bad break and he may only miss a turn or two.”

Mulholland joins Ken Howell and Jose DeJesus, both out for the year, and Andy Ashby and Tommy Greene, who are not ready to rejoin the club, on the sidelines.

“That was a Terry Mulholland night,” Cub Manager Jim Lefebvre said. “He’s been hot lately and tonight was no exception.”

The Phillies scored all four runs in six innings off Greg Maddux, who had beaten them six times in a row.

Atlanta 2, Cincinnati 1--Steve Avery was tough in the clutch at Atlanta and drove in the winning run as the Braves tightened the race in the National League West.

A crowd of 44,636 saw the Reds threaten in nearly every inning, but score only in the eighth as their lead was cut to 2 1/2 games.

Avery (6-5) won his fourth in a row, despite giving up 11 hits in 7 1/3 innings. He had a shutout until Reggie Sanders doubled and Barry Larkin singled him home with one out in the eighth. Kent Mercker came on to get the last five outs, two on strikeouts, for his first save.

“It seemed I was always pitching out of a jam,” Avery said.

St. Louis 6, New York 1--The hot teams met in Atlanta, the cold ones in New York. Bob Tewksbury (7-2), pitching as well as anyone in the league, gave up five hits and lowered his league-leading earned-run average to 2.14.

While the Cardinals, by winning two out of three from the Mets, are only 4 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh in the East, the Mets are percentage points out of last place.

The Mets have lost eight of 10 on this home stand. The Cardinals have won only seven of their last 22.

Geronimo Pena had four hits, scored twice and drove in a run to lead the Cardinals’ 14-hit attack.

Eddie Murray’s home run in the fourth inning spoiled Tewksbury’s shutout.

San Francisco 3, San Diego 1--Cory Snyder, one of the Giants’ few bright spots in recent days, had the key hit at San Francisco as the Giants ended their seven-game losing streak.

Snyder had a two-run single to cap the three-run third inning that enabled Bud Black to improve his record to 4-1 despite giving up nine hits in seven innings.

Both teams were missing a star. Will Clark of the Giants and Fred McGriff of the Padres are out because of injuries sustained in a brawl Thursday. Clark has a stiff neck, McGriff a sore rib cage.

Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 3--The Pirates’ luck started to go sour last week when Barry Bonds was injured. It shows no signs of improving.

After going nine consecutive games without an error, a miscue helped the Expos have a four-run second inning at Pittsburgh and sent the Pirates to their third loss in a row.

After the Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Tim Wallach doubled to open the second, then third baseman Steve Buechele threw away Archi Cianfrocco’s grounder. Two singles, a walk, a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice later, Montreal had four runs, two unearned.