NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Giants’ Lead Is Now Just .002 Over Braves

The Giants’ NL West lead was reduced to two percentage points Friday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat San Francisco, 6-2, at Candlestick Park.

The loss extended the Giants’ losing streak to three games as San Francisco dropped to 89-51 while Atlanta improved to 90-52 with a 3-2 victory at San Diego.

Tom Pagnozzi’s two-run double in the seventh inning off rookie starter Salomon Torres (2-1) scored Bernard Gilkey and Erik Pappas, who both singled with two outs, to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.

Todd Zeile then hit an RBI single in the eighth off reliever Mike Jackson. Zeile scored Ozzie Smith, who doubled with one out. Gilkey’s sacrifice fly after Mark Whiten was intentionally walked scored another run.

Gregg Jefferies’ RBI single drove in Gerald Perry, who had singled, to make it 6-2 in the ninth.

Atlanta 3, San Diego 2--Greg Maddux got his 18th victory but his start was cut short when he was hit by a line drive on his pitching elbow in the sixth inning at San Diego.

Maddux (18-9), working on a two-hitter, slipped as he finished his follow-through and was hit by Jeff Gardner’s line drive with one out in the sixth. Maddux got up and made a weak toss to get Gardner at first base.

Team trainers checked Maddux, who was immediately replaced by Steve Bedrosian. Maddux was taken for X-rays, which were negative.

The right-hander beat the Padres for the third time in as many starts this year and joined teammate Tom Glavine and San Francisco’s John Burkett as 18-game winners in the National League.

Philadelphia 6, Houston 2--Curt Schilling scattered nine hits in 8 1/3 innings before leaving when he was struck by a line drive at Houston as the Phillies ended the Astros’ four-game winning streak.

Schilling (13-6), who has averaged seven innings per start this season, allowed two runs, striking out four. He was hit on the lower right leg by Ed Taubensee’s liner and suffered a bruise. Mitch Williams got the last two outs.

Montreal 4, Cincinnati 3--Marquis Grissom’s run-scoring single over a drawn-in infield with one out in the 10th inning off Rob Dibble gave the Expos a victory over the Reds at Montreal.

It was Montreal’s fourth consecutive victory, and 16th in its last 18 games. But the Expos remained seven games in back of Philadelphia in the NL East.

Chicago 12, New York 10--Jose Vizcaino and Ryne Sandberg each hit run-scoring singles in a two-run ninth inning as the Cubs handed the Mets their seventh straight loss at New York.

Bob Scanlan (4-5) who allowed one run on two hits in one inning was the winner. Randy Myers pitched the ninth for his 43rd save.

Colorado 9, Pittsburgh 8--Eric Young’s run-scoring double in the 11th inning broke a tie, and the Rockies went on to beat the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

The three-time defending NL East champion Pirates had already been mathematically eliminated earlier in the night when first-place Philadelphia beat Chicago.