NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Third Time Is Not the Charm for Braves’ Glavine

Tom Glavine had little trouble winning 19 games this season, but victory No. 20 has proved elusive to the 1991 Cy Young Award winner.

Glavine failed for the third consecutive time to become the first pitcher in the majors to win 20 games as the Braves suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night at Atlanta.

Glavine has not won since he beat Montreal Aug. 19. He pitched poorly in his two previous starts when he lasted only 7 1/3 innings and gave up 10 runs and 11 hits.

“The previous two were mental things because of 20 wins, but not tonight,” said Glavine, who gave up five hits and two runs in seven innings. “Everything was going for me, but we didn’t do the job in the field or at the plate in the ninth.”

Curt Schilling (12-9) gave up three hits in seven innings for the Phillies. Mitch Williams pitched two scoreless innings for his 23rd save.

Williams pitched out of a bases-load jam in the ninth inning. Ruben Amaro made a sliding catch of Otis Nixon’s line drive to shallow right for the first out and held Mark Lemke at third. Damon Berryhill hit into a double play to end it.

“He does that all the time,” Phillie Manager Jim Fregosi said. “That’s his game plan. I’ve never seen anyone get out of so many bases-loaded, none-out situations.”

The Braves remained 6 1/2 games ahead of Cincinnati in the West despite losing their third in a row and the 10th in their last 15 games.

Montreal 5, Houston 2--The Expos extended their winning streak to six games with the victory at Montreal, but they remained three games behind Pittsburgh in the NL East after the Pirates rallied to beat the Dodgers.

Ken Hill (15-7) pitched six innings and former Dodger John Wetteland retired the last four batters for his 32nd save.

“I told Dennis (Martinez) in Cincinnati a few days ago that if he won his 15th I’d be right behind him,” Hill said. “There’s a competitive thing, but I respect him as No. 1 on this team.”

Larry Walker raised his average to .306 with a triple and a double.

San Diego 7, Chicago 5--Gary Sheffield’s bid for the triple crown is in jeopardy because he suffered a hamstring injury running out a triple during the fourth inning of the Padres’ 14-inning victory at Chicago.

“I felt something pull as I was rounding second,” Sheffield said.

“Right now, it’s sore and it’s hard to tell if I’ll play this weekend. My leg simply gave out on me.”

No National League hitter has led in home runs, RBIs and batting since Joe Medwick in 1937.

Sheffield is two home runs behind teammate Fred McGriff and is tied with Darren Daulton of Philadelphia with 92 runs batted in.

Former Cub Darrin Jackson opened the 14th with a home run after the Padres scored three runs in the ninth to tie the score.

Tim Teufel also homered in the 14th.

New York 5, Cincinnati 2--Eddie Murray hit the 17th grand slam of his career in the sixth inning at New York to hand the Reds their eighth loss in nine games.

Murray homered against Tim Belcher (11-13), who was his teammate on the Dodgers last year.

In bases-loaded situations this season, Murray is nine for 13 and has driven in 26 runs.

“That’s unbelievable,” Met Manager Jeff Torborg said. “Every time the bases are loaded you can see his eyes light up.”

Belcher started the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead and a one-hitter. He didn’t stay around, but he left a note: “One bad pitch to one good hitter, is sometimes all it takes.”

San Francisco 4, St. Louis 3--Mark Leonard’s double against Lee Smith (3-6) with two out in the 10th inning drove in the winning run at St. Louis and ended the Giants’ nine-game losing streak.

Trevor Wilson, the Giants’ scheduled starter, hurt his elbow while he was warming up and was replaced by Kevin Rogers.

Rogers gave up eight hits and three runs in six innings.