NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Black Takes Up Slack for Giants, 3-0

By the time Bud Black won his first game May 20, the San Francisco Giants were rolling.

Bill Swift had won his first six games and the Giants were on top in the National League West.

But Swift suffered a shoulder injury and the Giants went into a long slump.

And who is leading the way as the Giants try to battle their way back into the pennant race? Black, a 35-year-old left-hander.

Black gave up six hits Saturday at San Francisco as the Giants scored a 3-0 victory over Dennis Martinez and the Montreal Expos.

Will Clark, batting only .220 lifetime against Martinez, hit his first home run ever against him to help Black get his third consecutive victory. Black (7-2) is now the staff leader.

Black retired 16 of the first 17 he faced in getting his first shutout and complete game since May 10, 1991.

“I was able to get a lot of first-pitch strikes and work ahead on the count,” Black said. “If you work ahead, your stuff is better.”

Clark seems to hit whenever Black pitches. His 10th home run was one of his most satisfactory.

“It’s no secret that I’ve had trouble with (Martinez),” Clark said. “After fouling off two curves and two changeups, I was just reacting to a fastball. He finally left one out over the plate.”

Three singles in a row after Clark’s home run during the sixth gave Black breathing room.

“When we failed to score with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the sixth, it pumped them up,” Martinez (9-8) said.

The Giants are in fourth place in the West, 9 1/2 games behind Cincinnati.

San Diego 3, Philadelphia 2--Although he gave up two home runs to Tim Teufel at San Diego, winless Kyle Abbott avoided his 12th consecutive defeat.

Abbott gave up only four other hits in seven innings as the Phillies lost in the 11th inning.

Jerald Clark, who entered the game as an eighth-inning replacement for Tony Gwynn, singled home the winning run in the 11th. Gwynn’s back stiffened earlier.

Although he never knows when he will be in the lineup, Clark is 14 for 30 (.467) in his last 12 games.

“I don’t know how to explain my situation and I don’t even try,” said Clark, who has increased his overall average to .221.

Atlanta 3, Chicago 1--The Cubs ended their scoreless string at 23 innings, but they would have enjoyed it more if Deion Sanders had already left to play foot-ball.

Ryne Sandberg tripled in a run during the third inning, but Sanders, who has until August to decide whether to rejoin the Atlanta Falcons, hit a two-run home run during the eighth inning at Chicago.

Steve Avery (7-7) seemed destined to work seven strong innings without anything to show for it. But Otis Nixon batted for him and singled and Sanders hit his eighth home run to make a loser of reliever Bob Scanlan.

Third baseman Steve Buechele made his debut with the Cubs and singled in his first at-bat.

Pittsburgh 9, Cincinnati 3--The wet weather in Cincinnati that has prevented batting practice apparently has been what the Pirate hitters needed.

The Pirates, in games delayed at the start three hours one night and two the next, have scored a total of 13 runs. In their first nine in July they had only 18 runs.

For the fifth time this season, Orlando Merced hit a home run that put the Pirates ahead for good. It was a three-run shot in the fourth inning.

Zane Smith (8-7) went seven innings to win his third in a row. He has given up one run and 14 hits in three starts in July.

New York 8, Houston 2--Bobby Bonilla and Chico Walker each drove in three runs at Houston to make it easy for David Cone to win for the ninth time in 13 decisions.

With the Mets getting six runs in the first three innings, Cone went eight innings, giving up eight hits.

Walker hit his third homer of the season during the third inning after walks to Eddie Murray and Bonilla.

Cone had nine strikeouts and walked four. He lost his shutout during the fifth inning when Juan Guerrero tripled and Eddie Taubanesee singled.