NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Williams’ Homer Lifts Giants

Matt Williams insisted he wasn’t playing a game with Donovan Osborne.

“I wasn’t guessing changeup,” said Williams, whose 18th homer tied him with Cleveland’s Albert Belle for the major league lead and gave the San Francisco Giants a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesdat at San Francisco. “With a guy on third and one out, I’m just looking for a ball I can get in the air.”

But Cardinal Manager Joe Torre wasn’t so sure.

“Matt was hunting that pitch,” Torre said of a three-run homer by Williams. “It was a changeup down. You get in his zone means you’re doing something wrong.”

Osborne (3-3), who gave up only five hits in eight innings, refused to apologize for the decisive pitch in the first.

“It wasn’t a bad pitch,” he said. “I guess Matty just owns me. He did the same thing last season. One pitch killed me.”

Bud Black (5-1) struggled, giving up nine hits and one unearned run in six innings. The Cardinals had 11 hits in the game to five for the Giants.

“Solo homers don’t hurt you; three-run homers will kill you,” Black said. “Key hits in key situations hurt a pitcher. I stayed away from that.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game I’ve thrown. Fortunately, they were nine singles.”

Rod Beck worked the ninth for his 17th save.

Chicago 8, New York 3--Mark Grace had the key hits and Rick Wilkins had two more home runs as the Cubs won at New York.

Wilkins--with three homers in two games and 10 in the last month--and Grace drove in three runs apiece to back the strong pitching of Jose Guzman. Grace had three doubles.

Guzman (4-4), in his first career start against New York, gave up three runs and seven hits, striking out seven and walking none in 7 2/3 innings.

Frank Tanana (3-5) lost for the fifth time in six decisions.

Philadelphia 8, Houston 0--Terry Mulholland had his league-leading sixth complete game and second shutout, and was backed by four homers as the Phillies won at Philadelphia.

Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra, Jim Eisenreich and Milt Thompson homered as the Phillies won for the 12th time in 16 games.

Mulholland (7-5) gave up six hits, struck out nine and walked none as the Phillies beat the Astros for the fifth time in six games this season.

Houston starter Pete Harnisch (6-3) lasted 4 2/3 innings.

Pittsburgh 4, Colorado 1--Al Martin hit a two-run homer and tripled, and Denny Neagle won his second consecutive game as a starter to lead the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Neagle (2-1), who may return to the bullpen when Zane Smith starts Monday, limited the Rockies to a run and six hits over six innings. He has given up two runs over 15 innings in his last five appearances and is 2-0 with a 1.59 earned-run average since moving into the rotation last week.

Cincinnati 3, Montreal 2--Bip Roberts scored from second base on a throwing error by Montreal third baseman Mike Lansing in the 12th inning at Montreal to give the Reds the victory.

Roberts reached on a fielder’s choice against Mike Gardiner (0-2), took second on a two-out walk to Barry Larkin and scored when Lansing threw a ball hit by Bobby Kelly into the dirt at first base.

Greg Caderet (2-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Bobby Ayala got the last two outs for his second save.