NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Sanderson’s Turnaround Fortifies Giants

Scott Sanderson struggled with the Angels, but the veteran right-hander is flourishing in San Francisco.

Sanderson, waived by the Angels after losing nine in a row, pitched six shutout innings Monday in the Giants’ 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at San Francisco.

Sanderson helped the Giants increase their lead in the National League West to 3 1/2 games over the Atlanta Braves, who lost to the Dodgers, 2-1, on Monday.

With Bill Swift and John Burkett struggling, Sanderson (3-1) is becoming a key member of the staff down the stretch.

“I had great control today,” Sanderson said. “I was throwing the ball pretty much where I wanted to. I had some great defense out there. Those guys made some great plays.”

Claimed off waivers from the Angels on Aug. 3, Sanderson earned his third consecutive victory as a Giant. He lost his first game with San Francisco to extend his losing streak to 10 games, but has since given up only five earned runs in 22 innings.

Against the Pirates, he retired 12 of the 13 after the second inning. He gave up two hits, struck out four and walked one before leaving with what Manager Dusty Baker said was a sore shoulder.

Rod Beck pitched the ninth for his 41st save.

Chicago 7, Philadelphia 6--Steve Buechele, Willie Wilson and Steve Lake of the Cubs hit consecutive home runs against Roger Mason during the sixth inning at Philadelphia.

The last time the Cubs hit three homers in a row was May 17, 1977, when Larry Biittner, Bobby Murcer and Jerry Morales connected against San Diego at Wrigley Field.

Wilson’s homer was his first since 1990.

Both starting pitchers left the game because of injuries. Winner Mike Harkey (8-8) strained a tendon in his right knee during the sixth. Terry Mulholland loaded the bases with none out in the first, then left after aggravating a hip problem. Mike Williams (1-1) relieved.

Randy Myers, the fifth Cub pitcher, got the last five outs for his 40th save.

Expos 4, Rockies 3--A crowd of 40,066, Montreal’s second-largest this season at Olympic Stadium, was on hand to see the homecoming of Montreal native Denis Boucher, who gave up one run in six innings in his Expo debut.

Marquis Grissom singled home the winning run during the eighth inning as the Expos won for the 10th time in 11 games.

Boucher, acquired from the San Diego Padre organization on July 10, became the Expos’ first Quebec-born player since reliever Claude Raymond in 1969-71.

Expo catcher Joe Siddall, from Windsor, Ontario, and Boucher formed the first all-Canadian battery to start a major league game since Tip O’Neill and John Humphries with the New York Metropolitans in 1883.

Outfielder Larry Walker, from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, gave the Expos the first trio of Canadian players to start a game in modern major league history.

Walker hit his 18th homer and Sean Berry hit his 14th for the Expos.

Tim Scott (5-2) pitched one inning for the victory despite giving up Dante Bichette’s 21st homer, which gave Colorado a 3-2 lead during the eighth. John Wetteland got three outs for his 34th save.

Andres Galarraga hit his 19th homer for the Rockies.

Houston 7, New York 2--Luis Gonzalez hit his 14th homer and drove in five runs at Houston.

Pete Harnisch (13-8) struck out five and walked three to beat the Mets for the second time in seven days and the third time this year. He is 4-0 against New York in his career.

Sid Fernandez (3-6) left after five innings because of soreness in his left shoulder.

Met rookie Jeromy Burntiz hit his 10th homer.

Florida 2, San Diego 0--Benito Santiago hit a two-run homer against former batterymate Andy Benes (15-11) and David Weathers pitched eight shutout innings at San Diego in his first major league start.

Gary Sheffield, the 1992 National League batting champion, had one hit in four at-bats on his first game at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium since being traded to the Marlins on June 24.

Santiago hit his 12th homer with two out in the fourth.

Weathers (1-0) gave up only three singles. Bryan Harvey got the final three outs for his 41st save.