NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates’ Wakefield Baffles Braves

The most effective pitch in the National League lately travels at 46 m.p.h.

It is the knuckleball of rookie Tim Wakefield, and it completely befuddled the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Wakefield, in his fourth consecutive impressive performance, stopped the Braves, 4-2, and ended the Pirates’ mild slump.

Atlanta, which scored nine runs in the first inning while winning the two previous games in the series between the National League’s division leaders, had only four singles until the ninth inning.

Wakefield is 3-0, and the Pirates, who moved 2 1/2 games in front in the East, have won all four of his starts. He has two complete games and went eight innings in the other two. His earned-run average is 1.32.

The Braves had scored 22 runs on 31 hits in the series, but they couldn’t do a thing with the knuckleball.

The Braves’ Sid Bream had a unique description of trying to hit the pitch.

“Imagine,” he said, “being on a trampoline and trying to catch the ball while you’re jumping up and down. That’s what it’s like trying to hit the knuckleball. As the game got older, his knuckleball got better.”

Wakefield had a 1-0 lead over John Smoltz (14-8) through seven innings. But the Pirates jumped on the Braves’ bullpen for three runs in the eighth after Andy Van Slyke opened the inning with a double.

With a 4-0 lead, Wakefield relaxed and gave up two singles and a two-run double to Greg Olson.

“He should be able to walk out of here and feel proud for the lift he’s given us,” Manager Jim Leyland said. “He’s been a blessing to us.”

St. Louis 5, Montreal 2--Tracy Woodson, back in the major leagues after three years in the minors, hit a two-run home run and drove in four runs at Montreal to help Donovan Osborne celebrate his return to the rotation with his ninth victory.

Lee Smith needed only six pitches to retire the Expos in the ninth inning for his 30th save this season and 342nd of his career. He moved into the No. 2 spot all-time, 10 behind Boston’s Jeff Reardon.

The Cardinals broke a major league record when they played their 16th consecutive game without an error.

Cincinnati 12, San Diego 2--After winning the opener of the three-game series at Cincinnati, the Padres were ready to move into second place in the West.

But the Reds had other ideas. Barry Larkin went four for five and drove in two runs to lead the rout that gave the Reds two victories in a row and a three-game lead over the Padres.

Larkin is 12 for 17 in the last four games to lead the Reds out of a monthlong slump.

“He’s our guy,” Manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s in the lineup every day, and he’s the one we have to look to.”

The Reds pounded Bruce Hurst (12-7) for six runs in 4 1/3 innings and moved to within 4 1/2 games of Atlanta.

Chicago 1, Houston 0--The Cubs pushed over a run in the first inning on two walks, a single and a force out at Chicago and Greg Maddux protected it to improve his record to 15-9. It is the fifth consecutive season in which he has won at least 15 games.

Maddux pitched a four-hitter, working out of a sixth-inning jam when first baseman Mark Grace made a great play to cut down a runner at the plate.

“I’d like to have five more (victories),” said Maddux, whose best record was 19-12 in 1989.