NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Braves Learn Expos Have Pitching Too

Ken Hill agrees the Atlanta Braves have a superb staff. He just wants people to know the Montreal Expos also have talented pitchers.

Hill and John Wetteland combined on a three-hitter, and the Expos won, 1-0, Sunday at Atlanta, ending the Braves’ three-game winning streak.

Pinch-hitter Randy Milligan had a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning off John Smoltz (2-4).

“John Smoltz was very good today,” Hill said. “It was the sort of game where one pitch can win it. We got the sac fly and they didn’t.

“There’s no doubt the Braves have one of the great staffs in the last decade, but we’re tough, too. We want some respect.”

Hill (6-1) gave up three hits in seven innings and won his fourth consecutive start. He struck out five and walked two.

Wetteland, who had 43 saves last season, got his first of the year in four chances. He pitched two perfect innings, striking out the first five batters.

Smoltz lost his third consecutive decision. He allowed five hits, struck out six and walked two in eight innings.

Wil Cordero led off the Expos eighth with a triple. One out later, Milligan batted for Hill and hit a sacrifice fly to left field.

Houston 5, Cincinnati 0--Doug Drabek won his fourth consecutive decision, pitching a five-hitter at Houston in his first complete game in seven starts.

Drabek (4-1) seems to be pitching the way he did in Pittsburgh, where he won the Cy Young Award in 1990 and had five winning seasons before leaving as a free agent at the end of 1992. He was 9-18 for the Astros last year with two shutouts, the last on May 27 against Colorado.

The turnaround began opening day, when he lost, 3-1, to Philadelphia. His start Sunday was his best. He gave up only four singles and a double, didn’t walk anybody and struck out seven.

Luis Gonzalez, Ken Caminiti and Scott Servais homered off Erik Hanson (2-2) to give the Astros a split of their four-game series.

New York 3, St. Louis 2--Bobby Bonilla homered to snap an eighth-inning tie at St. Louis.

Bonilla hit his sixth home run with one out in the eighth off Willie Smith (1-1), who has surrendered four homers in five innings of relief.

In his last five games, Bonilla has four homers, two doubles and seven RBIs.

Pittsburgh 9-9, Chicago 2-3--Andy Van Slyke went eight for nine as the Pirates swept a doubleheader at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates had scored at least nine runs in a game only once this season before Sunday. The Cubs lost for the 16th time in 21 games.

Van Slyke, breaking out of a season-long slump, homered and drove in four runs in the first game, and Lance Parrish had a two-run double for his first Pittsburgh hit.

Van Slyke was hitting .227 with only four RBIs before the doubleheader.

Philadelphia 9, Florida 2--Ricky Jordan hit a home run, a double and two singles at Miami as the Phillies stopped an eight-game road losing streak.

Danny Jackson (4-0) stopped Florida’s home winning streak at five, a club record.

He gave up seven hits, including a homer by Orestes Destrade, in seven innings.

Colorado 1, San Diego 0--Mike Kingery walked with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Rockies a victory at San Diego. Reliever Mark Davis gave up the walk.