NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Rookie Delivers as Reds Win 5th in a Row

Jeff Branson was a hero Monday night, but the Cincinnati rookie infielder knows he might be back on the bench the rest of the week.

Branson hit a three-run double at Chicago as the Cincinnati Reds scored four unearned runs in the first inning and went on to beat the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, for their fifth victory in a row.

“That’s just the way it goes. I’m just happy to be back in the big leagues,” said Branson, enjoying his third stint with the Reds from triple-A Nashville this year.

The first-place Reds won for the 10th time in the last 13 games to take a five-game lead over Atlanta in the NL West.

“I was hoping to put a good part of the bat on the ball,” he said of his two-out hit to center. “Guys have been coming off the bench all season and doing as good a job as anyone.”

But Bill Doran, who sat out the game because of a toe injury, might be back at second today and Branson might be back on the bench.

Keith Brown, acquired from Nashville to replace the Reds’ injured Tom Browning, made his first major league start since 1988. He gave up one run, five hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Manager Lou Piniella said he was satisfied with the job Brown did, and he will start again Saturday against Pittsburgh.

“I hated to take him out with two outs in the fifth,” Piniella said. “He fell behind some batters, but outside of that, he did OK.”

Scott Ruskin (3-1) relieved Brown, but the move almost backfired.

With runners on first and second, Kal Daniels--who had homered an inning earlier--sent Bip Roberts against the ivy on the left-field wall for the final out of the fifth. Ruskin pitched 1 1/3 innings without giving up a run.

Rob Dibble pitched the final 1 1/3 for his 12th save in 15 opportunities.

Mike Morgan (7-3), the victim of five unearned runs, saw his personal seven-game winning streak end. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out five in six innings.

San Francisco 4, Philadelphia 2--Bud Black pitched 7 2/3 strong innings and Cory Snyder homered as the Giants sent Phillie rookie Kyle Abbot to his 11th loss without a victory in a game played in front of only 8,548 fans at Candlestick Park.

Abbott is one short of the Phillies’ record for most losses at the start of a season, set by Russ Miller in 1928 and tied by Ken Reynolds in 1972. The Phillies’ record for losses by a rookie is 19, set by Al Gerheauser in 1943.

Pittsburgh 1, Houston 0--Zane Smith pitched five-hit ball for 8 1/3 innings and Orlando Merced’s homer at Pittsburgh helped the Pirates end their four-game losing streak.

Smith, who beat St. Louis, 1-0, with a five-hitter on July 1, was two outs away from his second consecutive shutout when Stan Belinda finished for his 12th save.

Smith (7-7) continued to dominate the Astros at Three Rivers Stadium, where he is 4-0 with an 0.28 earned-run average and two shutouts since joining the Pirates in August of 1990. The left-hander struck out four and walked one to improve to 7-1 with a 1.62 ERA in his last 12 appearances against Houston.

St. Louis 4, San Diego 0--Cardinal rookie Mark Clark pitched a four-hitter at San Diego and also got his first major league RBI in the victory over the Padres.

Clark (1-3) threw three perfect innings before giving up a walk to Tony Fernandez and a single to Tony Gwynn, who returned after missing three starts because of a strained lower back. He struck out two and walked two.

Todd Zeile had a run-scoring double and three singles for the second four-hit game of his career, and the Cardinals had 12 hits.

The Cardinals, who had gone six games without scoring more than one run, ripped into Craig Lefferts (10-6), a converted reliever trying to become the second 11-game winner in the National League. Lefferts was pounded for four runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

New York 3, Atlanta 1--Dave Gallagher’s run-scoring double broke an eighth-inning tie, and David Cone pitched three-hit ball for seven innings as the Mets handed the Braves only their fourth loss in 20 home games.

Chico Walker opened the eighth with a single against Marvin Freeman and scored on Gallagher’s double. Gallagher entered the game hitting .209.