NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Daniels Begins Paying Cubs in Grand Style

The Chicago Cubs were desperately in need of offensive help. So desperate, that they were willing to take a chance on oft-injured Kal Daniels.

The Dodgers were so eager to get rid of Daniels they traded him for a player to be decided.

In his second game in the starting lineup, Daniels paid a dividend Sunday at Atlanta, hitting a grand slam to help the Cubs end their slump there with an 8-0 romp.

The Cubs had lost all five games at Atlanta this season and did not score their first run there until the eighth inning Saturday.

But Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace hit consecutive home runs against John Smoltz (9-6) during the first inning, and that was plenty for Greg Maddux. Maddux (10-7) gave up four hits in seven innings to win for the fifth time in six outings.

Andre Dawson homered during the third inning, and Daniels capped a five-run seventh with his third home run.

Daniels, who batted only .225 in 34 games with the Dodgers this season, is four for eight with five runs batted in for the Cubs. He doesn’t see himself as the player who turns the team around.

“They already had a good team when I got here,” he said. “If the pitching continues the way it has and the hitting comes around, it should be an interesting second half.”

In his first season with the Dodgers, 1990, Daniels hit 27 home runs and drove in 94 runs. But by last season his hitting and relations with other players had deteriorated considerably.

Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 1--The Pirates were sent reeling by the Reds during the weekend.

Cincinnati, after wasting numerous scoring opportunities, got two runs on sacrifice flies during the eighth inning at Pittsburgh to complete a four-game sweep. The Pirates scored only seven runs during the series.

A RBI single by Don Slaught during the first inning was the only hit the Pirates had against Chris Hammond in the first six innings. After double plays saved him three times, Doug Drabek gave up a single, double and walk during the eighth before Paul O’Neill and Chris Sabo hit sacrifice fly balls.

Houston 2, New York 0--Eric Anthony, a disappointment for two years, is beginning to hit the way the Astros thought he would.

Anthony hit a two-run home run during the 10th inning at New York, and the Astros handed the Mets their 10th shutout. Anthony, who went into this season with a .179 average, is batting .260, has eight home runs and has driven in 38 runs in the last 50 games.

The Mets finished the first half with a 38-43 record, six games out of first and 1 1/2 out of last.

San Francisco 3, St. Louis 1--Kevin Bass hit his 100th home run to break a sixth-inning tie at San Francisco.

The Cardinals scored one run for the fourth consecutive game in a series they split, 2-2. The run was Andres Galarraga’s first home run in his 128 at-bats as a Cardinal.

Trevor Wilson (6-8) gave up five hits in 7 2/3 innings and ended a three-game losing streak. He struck out seven before Jeff Brantley came on to get the last four outs.

Craig Wilson hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.

Montreal 4, San Diego 3--The Pirates are the only team above .500 in the East, but the Expos pulled to 39-39 with another tight victory at San Diego.

Delino DeShields squeezed in the winning run during the 10th inning after scoring the tying run during the ninth.

Gary Sheffield hit his 17th home run during the second inning, and Padre teammate Fred McGriff hit his 18th during the fourth. He has hit four in four games.