BASEBALL PLAYOFFS DAILY REPORT : NATIONAL LEAGUE

Bob Walk, whose three-hitter led the Pirates to victory in Game 5, said he is bothered by the perception that his performance was somewhat of a miracle.

“I have spent the last two days hearing people say things like, ‘How could Walk have won that game?’ ” Walk said. “It’s not like I’m a piece of dog meat. I have won games before, you know.”

Walk is 92-67 with a 3.82 earned-run average. This season he was 10-6 with a 3.20 ERA.

“It bothers me that everybody acts like it’s such a surprise,” Walk said. “I know, I don’t have many complete games (13) and that would not have been a complete game if it was played in July. Jimmy (Leyland) would have taken me out.

Stan Kasten, the Braves’ president, declined to comment on Deion Sanders, who upset the club by breaking a promise and playing for the Atlanta Falcons in Miami Sunday before joining the Braves in Pittsburgh on Sunday night.

“That is one subject I’m not going to discuss,” he said.

It is believed that Sanders did not play in Game 5 Sunday night, even though there were several situations where he could have been used, because the Braves were punishing him.

Next to Sanders, the most controversial topic at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium involved organist Carolyn King.

Fans have bombarded the Brave offices with complaints that she is playing the Braves’ war chant, which accompanies the tomahawk chop, in the wrong key. Fans say it makes the chant sound dreary.

The Dodgers announced that Tim Crews, veteran middle reliever, chose free agency after he was outrighted to triple-A Albuquerque.

Crews was 0-3 with a 5.19 ERA in 49 games this season. He was being paid $1.175 million after leading the team with 60 appearances in 1991.

Crews had the option of free agency because he has five years of service. If he had remained on the roster, his salary would have been subject to arbitration.