NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Jefferies, Arocha Lead Cardinals

Gregg Jefferies hit two two-run home runs and Cuban defector Rene Arocha won his major league debut as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 8-2, Friday night at St. Louis.

Arocha (1-0), 27, gave up four hits and two runs in eight innings before Les Lancaster finished.

Arocha, a right-hander, was 12-7 with a 2.70 earned-run average at triple-A Louisville last season.

“Every pitch was working,” Arocha said through an interpreter, teammate Jose Oquendo. “I was putting the ball where I wanted.”

Said Manager Joe Torre: “He throws strikes. He’s got four pitches and he can get them all over for strikes. Even when he missed, it was still around the plate.”

Geronimo Pena continued his hot hitting with two doubles, Ozzie Smith drove in two runs with a single and a triple, and Hector Villanueva homered.

The Cardinals got 10 hits off starter Tom Browning, including three home runs, and all eight runs in 3 1/3 innings. Browning (0-1) was making his first start since July 1, when he injured his left knee in a collision at home plate.

The Reds and Tim Belcher lost, 14-11, to Montreal at Cincinnati on Thursday.

Jefferies, acquired in an off-season trade with Kansas City, became the first Cardinal to hit two home runs at Busch Stadium since Jack Clark did it Aug. 16, 1987.

Kevin Mitchell drove in the Reds’ first run with a first-inning groundout, then left the game with tightness in his right hamstring.

Pittsburgh 6, San Francisco 5--Rookie Kevin Young upstaged Barry Bonds’ return to Pittsburgh, driving in four runs with a single and go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Pirates rallied past the Giants at Pittsburgh.

Bonds, however, showed his former teammates why the Giants are paying him $43.5 million by going two for four with a double, triple, a run batted in and three runs, but the Giants’ bullpen could not hold a 5-4 lead after a three-run rally in the top of the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth, Jeff King singled for his third hit and Orlando Merced popped out. Young, one of three Pirate rookie starters, followed with a drive over the left-field wall for his first major league homer.

Blas Minor (1-0) got the final out of the eighth for the victory and Stan Belinda pitched the ninth for his second save in as many days.

Bonds answered the frequent jeering and chants of “Barry, Barry” by leading a three-run Giants’ comeback in the eighth inning after Pittsburgh starter Randy Tomlin left with a 4-2 lead.

San Diego 2, Florida 1--The Marlins were within three outs of their first shutout when Gary Sheffield sparked a two-run ninth inning with a home run off reliever Bryan Harvey as the Padres beat the Marlins at Miami.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead into the ninth when Harvey replaced starter Ryan Bowen.

Fred McGriff followed the home run with a single and moved to second on Derek Bell’s single. McGriff stole third base and scored on Dan Walters’ sacrifice fly off Harvey (0-1). McGriff had only eight steals last season.

Houston 7, New York 3--Eric Anthony drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the 10th inning and Ken Caminiti added a three-run home run as the Astros won at New York.

The Astros won for the first time this season after losing three in a row at home to Philadelphia.

Doug Jones (1-0) was the winner in his third appearance of the season.

Chicago 11, Philadelphia 7--The Phillies had their season-opening three-game winning streak ended as Derrick May hit two homers and drove in five runs to power the Cubs at Philadelphia.

Darren Daulton hit two homers and drove in five runs, and John Kruk and Lenny Dykstra each homered for the Phillies.

The Cubs also got home runs from Jose Vizcaino and Mark Grace.

Reliever Chuck McElroy (1-0) got the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Randy Myers finished for his first save as a Cub.