NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Clark Gets Ejected, Leaves Giants Dejected

Will Clark blew his chance by blowing his cool.

The San Francisco Giants’ best hitter was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing a play at first base. The Giants got the tying run to third base with outs in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Mike Felder, batting in Clark’s spot, popped out and the Chicago Cubs hung on for a 6-5 victory at San Francisco.

“I guess I’ve got to thank Will for getting himself kicked out of the game,” said Chicago starter Mike Harkey, who got the victory. “I think any pitcher would rather face Mike Felder than Will Clark, seeing as Mike Felder had been sitting on the bench for seven innings and Will’s been playing the whole game.”

Clark made an early exit from the locker room as well and wasn’t around to discuss his first ejection since getting thrown out for arguing with umpire Dutch Rennert during a game against Houston on May 31, 1990.

The Giants scored twice in the ninth before reliever Bob Scanlan induced Felder’s popup with runners at first and third. Scanlan worked the final 1 1/3 innings for his seventh save.

San Francisco trailed, 6-0, in the fifth inning. Matt Williams hit a solo home run, his 16th, in the seventh, cutting the Cubs’ lead to 6-2. The Giants scored a run in the eighth on a double-play grounder by Clark, who was ejected by first base umpire Bill Hohn after arguing that he beat the relay.

“I thought Will was safe,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said. “But you never want to see your best ballplayer thrown out of a game. I told (assistant coach) Bob Lillis, ‘You watch, Clark’s position will come up again.’ ”

An error by Jose Vizcaino at shortstop and Willie McGee’s grounder drove in the Giants’ runs in the ninth.

Harkey (4-0) gave up two hits in 5 1/3 innings before leaving because of a groin injury. He strained himself while covering first base on a grounder, and his status was listed as day to day.

The Cubs scored all six runs against Trevor Wilson (8-12), who gave up eight hits in five innings. Andre Dawson’s three-run double capped a four-run third inning.

Pittsburgh 7, San Diego 1--Danny Jackson gave up five hits in seven innings and Lloyd McClendon homered as the Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Padres at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates, winners of 16 of their last 20, were 0-6 against San Diego entering the series. The Padres lost their fifth in a row to finish their road trip 2-6.

During the three-game series, Pirate pitching limited the Padres’ top four of Tony Fernandez, Tony Gwynn, Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff to eight hits, no homers and one RBI in 44 at-bats, a .181 average. In their first six games against Pittsburgh, the same four were 41 for 102 (.402).

Montreal 3, Atlanta 2--Tim Wallach hit a game-tying double in the ninth inning and then scored from second base on a grounder to third as the Expos rallied to defeat the Braves at Montreal.

Despite the loss, Atlanta has a six-game lead over Cincinnati in the NL West. The Expos stayed four games behind Pittsburgh in the NL East.

Marquis Grissom opened the Expos’ ninth with a single. Larry Walker also singled. Alejandro Pena (1-6) then relieved Steve Avery and Moises Alou’s sacrifice moved the runners to second and third. Wallach’s double over the head of center fielder Deion Sanders scored both Grissom and Walker.

Pena then walked John Vander Wal intentionally and struck out pinch-hitter Darren Fletcher. Wil Cordero hit a slow grounder to third and beat third baseman Mark Lemke’s throw to first. Wallach scored from second, beating Brian Hunter’s throw to the plate.

Jeff Fassero (5-5) pitched the ninth to earn the victory.

St. Louis 3, Houston 1--Bob Tewksbury (13-5) gave up four hits in eight innings and Bernard Gilkey broke a tie with a home run to lead off the sixth inning as the Cardinals beat the road-weary Astros at St. Louis.

It was the 23rd game in a 26-game, 28-day trip for the Astros, who were forced out of the Astrodome by the Republican National Convention. Houston lost two of three to St. Louis and is 9-14 on the trip.