NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Cardinals, Smith Keep Closing In on Phillies, 3-1

The Philadelphia Phillies, on the verge of running away with the East Division title, have suddenly realized that the St. Louis Cardinals are getting close.

They know, because they can hear Lee Smith.

Smith saved his 15th game in June, a major league record for a month, to lead the Cardinals to a 3-1 victory over the first-place Phillies Monday night at St. Louis.

The second-place Cardinals moved to within 6 1/2 games of the Phillies with their fifth consecutive victory and 19th in 25 games this month. Philadelphia has lost three consecutive games for only the second time this season.

“I’m not concerned about wearing out Smith,” said Joe Torre, Cardinals’ manager. “He’ll tell me when he wants a day off.”

Smith is having too much fun to say anything. He has saved each of the Cardinals’ last nine victories and leads the major leagues with 29 saves. That is nearly twice as many as the entire Dodgers’ bullpen combined (16).

“I feel good, I’ve pitched quite a bit the first half of the season, but I feel good,” said Smith, baseball’s all-time saves leader. “I’ve been making good pitches, I only had to make about seven or eight on Sunday, so I haven’t been throwing that much.”

Starter Rheal Cormier (5-4) gave up one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings for the victory. He also drove in a run.

Phillie starter Danny Jackson (7-4), seeking his fourth victory in his last five decisions, gave up three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Gregg Jefferies extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the first inning with a run-scoring double, after Bernard Gilkey doubled and Ozzie Smith reached on an infield hit. Smith scored on Mark Whiten’s double-play grounder.

Pete Incaviglia hit a 448-foot homer, his 13th, in the fourth inning for the Phillies’ only run.

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Pittsburgh 9, Montreal 5--Lonnie Smith’s bases-loaded walk scored the first of four Pittsburgh runs in the 10th inning at Montreal, leading the Pirates to their ninth victory in 11 games.

Dave Clark opened the 10th with a walk against Tim Scott (2-1) and Don Slaught followed with a single. Tim Wakefield, who was recently demoted to the Pirates’ bullpen, laid down a bunt that Scott fielded and threw to third. But pinch-runner William Pennyfeather beat the throw, loading the bases.

Scott then walked Smith on a full-count pitch before reliever Jeff Fassero gave up Tom Foley’s run-scoring single and Jay Bell’s two-run single.

Wakefield (4-7) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory and complete a second consecutive comeback win for the Pirates, who had lost seven consecutive games before the start of their hot streak.

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Chicago 4, San Diego 3--Candy Maldonado drove in his third run of the game with an 11th-inning single to lead the Cubs past at San Diego.

Sammy Sosa led off the inning with his third consecutive single and took second on Steve Lake’s sacrifice. Sosa scored on Maldonado’s single to left against Roger Mason (0-7) as Billy Bean’s throw home was off line.

Paul Assenmacher (2-1) worked the 10th for the win and former Padre Randy Myers marked his return to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium by pitching a scoreless 11th for his 23rd save.

It was the Padres’ second consecutive 11-inning loss, and their 12th loss in their last 16 games.