NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Larkin Justifies Confidence With Hit in 10th

It’s early and Barry Larkin’s no rookie. So what if he’s one for 15?

Cincinnati Manager Davey Johnson eschewed the sacrifice and let Larkin swing away with the game on the line, a 10th-inning gesture that gave the shortstop renewed confidence and the Reds a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

David West (0-1) set up the winning hit by giving up a leadoff single to Jeff Branson and a four-pitch walk to Tony Fernandez, who was trying to bunt. Rather than have Larkin try to advance the runners with a sacrifice, Johnson told third base coach Ray Knight to give him the hit sign.

“Ray Knight looked at me as if to say, ‘See, Davey is not going to put the bunt on because he has confidence in you and I have confidence in you, too,’ ” Larkin said.

That was Johnson’s message.

“I didn’t think about bunting him,” Johnson said. “As bad as he’s struggled, I can’t think of anybody I’d rather have hitting in that situation than Barry Larkin.”

West helped by going to a full count. He had to throw a fastball, and Larkin pulled it into the gap in left-center for the Reds’ second extra-inning victory in their four games.

“I did the same things I’d been doing all day. He just got that ball inside,” Larkin said.

It spoiled another late-inning comeback by the Phillies, who had swept a three-game series against Colorado by coming from behind after the sixth inning all three times.

Kevin Mitchell drove in three runs with two homers off Ben Rivera as the Reds went ahead, 4-0, but the Phillies tied it with two runs in the fifth inning off Jose Rijo and Dave Hollins’ two-run home run in the eighth off Jeff Brantley. Hector Carrasco (2-0) pitched a hitless 10th for his second major-league victory.

Chicago 4, Montreal 0--Rookie Steve Trachsel, a Long Beach State product, got his first major league victory and Shawon Dunston homered and had three RBIs as the Cubs spoiled the home opener of the Expos.

Trachsel outdueled Montreal starter Pedro Martinez. Trachsel, 0-2 as a starter last season after being recalled in September, gave up only three hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

Martinez, acquired from the Dodgers last winter in a trade for second baseman Delino DeShields, gave up three hits and struck out eight before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning.

Houston 6, New York 3--Andujar Cedeno had three hits and three RBIs to help the Astros snap the Mets’ season-opening three-game winning streak.

New York got homers from Bobby Bonilla and Ryan Thompson at Houston.

Mitch Williams pitched into trouble in the ninth before getting the save by retiring Bonilla on a fly ball with the bases loaded. Williams started the inning, walked two batters and gave up a hit.

Colorado 7, Pittsburgh 3--Dante Bichette, the majors’ hottest hitter, went four for five with a homer and four RBIs to lead the Rockies to a victory at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates have been outscored, 21-5, in their 0-4 start, their worst since they opened 0-6 in 1974 before rebounding to win their division. Colorado won its first game after being outscored, 33-19, in a season-opening series sweep by Philadelphia.

Bichette, hitting .471 with four homers and eight RBIs in three starts, had a solo homer and two run-scoring doubles off starter and loser Paul Wagner. Bichette added an RBI single off reliever Joel Johnston.

San Diego 4, Florida 0--Rookie Keith Lockhart homered twice in his first major league start and Scott Sanders gave up two hits in 7 1/3 innings at San Diego.

Lockhart, a 29-year-old journeyman who entered the game with three big league at-bats, followed Derek Bell’s home run in the fourth inning with his first of the night for a 2-0 lead. In the eighth, Lockhart, who got his first major league hit Thursday night, homered off reliever Robb Nen.

Sanders, making his first start of the season and 10th of his career, struck out six. He walked two and hit a batter before Trevor Hoffman relieved in the eighth inning and got the save.