NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Two Cub Homers Victimize Smith in Ninth, 6-4

Eight saves shy of No. 400, Lee Smith is running into a lot of trouble.

Rookie Kevin Roberson hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and Rick Wilkins added a solo shot against Smith as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cardinals, 6-4, Friday night at St. Louis.

“He’s a guy I’ve admired for a long time,” Roberson said. “I have a lot of respect for him.”

But now, Smith isn’t getting any respect from National League hitters. Though he still leads the major leagues with 37 saves, Smith has given up seven runs in his last four innings over five appearances. This season, he has givven up 11 home runs in 44 innings and has blown six saves.

Smith refused to talk to reporters, but Manager Joe Torre said Smith may have overemphasized his fastball, especially to Roberson.

“When you see a certain pitch a lot, that makes it easier to hit,” Torre said. “But the big guy has been out there an awful long time and you have to feel that he knows what he wants to throw.”

Smith was booed as he left the field after giving up three runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.

Derrick May led off the ninth with a single and, one out later, Roberson hit a 2-2 pitch from Smith (2-3) to center for his sixth home run.

Florida 4, Philadelphia 3--Orestes Destrade hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and the Marlins’ struggling pitching staff contained the Phillies at Miami.

The Marlins had been outscored, 26-8, in their last two games at St. Louis, but Pat Rapp and three relievers limited the first-place Phillies on eight hits. Philadelphia had a base runner in every inning and stranded seven in scoring position. Bryan Harvey struck out Dave Hollins with Lenny Dykstra at third to end the game.

Luis Aquino (5-6) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his first relief victory since July 17, 1991. Harvey pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four, for his 33rd save.

Destrade hit a two-out homer in the sixth to extend his career-high hitting streak to 11 games. The homer, Destrade’s 11th, came against Roger Mason (3-8).

Florida’s Chuck Carr hit a two-run homer, his third, in the second against Jose DeLeon to give the Marlins a 3-0 lead. A throwing error by shortstop Kevin Stocker helped the Marlins score an unearned run in the first.

San Diego 6, Colorado 3--In the first game of a doubleheader at San Diego, Tony Gwynn went three for three to push his career hit total to 1,999 to extend the Rockies’ losing streak to a franchise-record 12 games.

Andy Benes (13-7) gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, and struck out eight for his sixth win in his last nine starts. Trevor Hoffman worked the final 2 2/3 innings and gave up one hit for his third save, first for San Diego.

Armando Reynoso (7-8) gave up 10 hits in five innings to lose his fourth consecutive decision. The Rockies committed four errors, leading to five unearned runs.

Gwynn singled three times, was intentionally walked twice and scored once. His hit in the first inning scored Jeff Gardner, who led off with a double.

Montreal 8, Atlanta 2--Rookie Kirk Rueter pitched a five-hitter and drove in two runs with his first major league hit to lift the Expos at Atlanta.

Rueter (2-0) walked one and struck out one in his first complete game victory. He also keyed a three-run second inning for the Expos with a two-run, bases-loaded single.

It was the Expos’ third victory in four games and the Braves’ third loss in their last four.

With one out in the second, Darrin Fletcher was hit by a pitch from John Smoltz. Moises Alou followed with a single and Sean Berry walked to load the bases.

Smoltz (10-9) struck out Mike Lansing, but Rueter’s bloop single to left drove in two runs. Delino DeShields followed with a run-scoring single.

San Francisco 4, Houston 3--John Burkett became the National League’s first 17-game winner by pitching eight strong innings, and Matt Williams hit two RBI singles as the Giants survived a ninth-inning rally to win at San Francisco.