NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Giants’ Clark Reduces Braves’ Lead to 1 1/2

Will Clark’s solo home run in the 10th inning lifted the Giants to a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres Friday night at San Francisco, moving the Giants within 1 1/2 games of first-place Atlanta in the National League West.

With two out, Clark drove the first pitch from Gene Harris (6-6) into the bleachers in left-center field for his 13th homer. The Giants have won seven of their last eight games and three in a row. It was their first victory at home in nine games.

Rod Beck (3-1) pitched the 10th for the victory.

With the Padres leading, 3-2, Robby Thompson was hit in the face by a pitch from reliever Trevor Hoffman in the eighth inning.

After several minutes, Thompson got up and was helped off the field holding a towel to a bloody nose. Mike Benjamin pinch-ran for Thompson and went to third on Clark’s single before Matt Williams hit a sacrifice fly.

Thompson was taken to the emergency room at Stanford University Medical center with a possible broken left cheekbone.

With the Giants leading by 2-1 on Barry Bonds’ two-run homer in the fourth inning, Archi Cianfrocco gave the Padres the lead with a two-out homer against Scott Sanderson after Phil Plantier doubled in the sixth.

Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 0--Tommy Greene gave up three hits in 8 1/3 innings and drove in two runs with a single as the Phillies beat 20-game winner Tom Glavine at Philadelphia.

The Phillies stayed six games ahead of the Montreal Expos, a winner at New York. Philadelphia’s magic number for clinching the NL East was reduced to four.

Greene (16-3), who won his fifth consecutive decision, gave up a ground single to right field by David Justice in the sixth inning for the Braves’ first hit.

Greene, who has six no decisions in his last 11 starts, has not lost since July 16 at San Diego. He struck out six as the Phillies improved to 6-4 against Atlanta this season.

Mitch Williams got the last two outs for his 41st save to break a club single-season record held by Steve Bedrosian, who had 40 in 1987.

“I didn’t mind leaving because I was running on empty,” Greene said. “I’m not going to stay out there and hurt the team in any way. We needed a fresh arm in there, and Mitch did the job.”

Glavine gave up five hits, struck out four and walked three.

“I’m disappointed but we’ve lost the first game of a series before,” Glavine said. “I don’t think I made a bad pitch. The three hits probably wouldn’t have reached the outfield fence. It was a tough loss but I don’t think I made any mistakes.”

Montreal 6, New York 3--Chris Nabholz pitched no-hit ball through six innings, and the Expos held on to beat the Mets at New York.

Nabholz (8-8), making his first start since Aug. 10, gave up a leadoff single to Eddie Murray off the glove of third baseman Sean Berry in the seventh inning. John Wetteland pitched the final inning for his 39th save.

After Murray’s hit, the Expos replaced Nabholz with Tim Scott, who gave up a double to Dave Gallagher and a three-run homer to Jeff Kent.

Chicago 8, Pittsburgh 3--Steve Buechele and Eric Yelding each drove in two runs as the Cubs won their fourth consecutive game by beating the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Greg Hibbard (14-11) won his fourth consecutive decision and tied the career high for victories he set with the White Sox in 1990.

St. Louis 9, Florida 5--Gregg Jefferies had three hits and drove in four runs to lead the Cardinals over the Marlins at Miami.

Jefferies’ double in the sixth inning broke a 5-5 tie after the Cardinals’ squandered a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Colorado 9, Cincinnati 2--The Rockies set a National League record for victories by an expansion team and handed the Reds their 13th loss in 14 games at Denver.

The Rockies’ 65th victory of the season surpassed the 64 the Houston Colt .45s had in 1962. The Angels hold the record for most victories by a major league expansion team, 70 in 1961.