NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Eusebio’s Homers Too Much for Giants

Tony Eusebio, not your usual power threat, hit two two-run home runs Thursday to help the Houston Astros defeat the San Francisco Giants, 6-3, at San Francisco.

Eusebio, who had hit only one major league home run and only 13 homers in a seven-year minor league career, connected off starter Mark Portugal (5-6) in the seventh inning and reliever Rod Beck in the ninth.

It was the Giants’ ninth defeat in their last 10 games at Candlestick Park. They have lost seven of their last eight overall.

Ken Caminiti added a solo homer, his 13th, which ties his production in each of the last three seasons. The Astros hit six homers and 14 doubles in winning three games in the four-game series.

“It was a big series for us,” Caminiti said. “Every day somebody different contributes. Today it was Tony.”

Darryl Kile (5-2) pitched seven strong innings, yielding six hits and two runs. He also doubled.

It has been this kind of season for the Giants:

When Portugal doubled, he felt soreness in his groin rounding first and left the game after working seven innings and trailing, 4-2.

“I just felt something pulling when I turned,” Portugal said. “It was pretty tight by the time I got to second. We’ll have to evaluate it Friday.”

And this .

Reliever Mike Jackson also sustained an injury. He worked a scoreless eighth inning but was put on the 15-day disabled list because of elbow tendinitis.

“It just feels extremely sore,” said Jackson, who has a 3-2 record and a 1.13 earned-run average in 33 games. Right-hander Rich Monteleone will come off the disabled list and take Jackson’s spot on the roster.

Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 5--Jeff King’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning drove home the go-ahead run and lifted the Pirates at St. Louis.

The Cardinals tied a major league record with seven double plays, a feat last accomplished by Atlanta on June 27, 1982.

Alejandro Pena (3-2), who gave up Gerald Perry’s pinch-hit homer that tied the score in the ninth inning, was the winner.

Atlanta 11, Colorado 8--Charlie O’Brien’s two-run homer broke an 8-8 tie during a five-run eighth inning that carried the Braves at Atlanta in a game in which they overcame 5-1 and 8-5 deficits.

Bill Pecota had three hits, including a homer, scored twice and drove in two runs as the Braves beat the Rockies for the 19th time in 20 games.

The victory went to reliever Mike Stanton (2-1) who pitched the eighth inning. Greg McMichael pitched the ninth for his 16th save.

San Diego 7, Chicago 1--Andy Ashby pitched a five-hitter and gave up an unearned run at San Diego.

Ashby (3-5) has three complete-game victories and a no-decision in his last four starts after losing his first five decisions. He has lowered his ERA to 2.67, fifth best in the National League.

Bip Roberts extended his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest in the league this season, with an RBI single in the seventh inning. Derek Bell had run-scoring singles in the sixth and eighth, and Ausmus capped a four-run eighth with a three-run homer, his fourth.

Florida 4, New York 2--Rookie Kurt Miller yielded four hits in Miami in only his second major league start.

Miller (1-1) gave up a two-run homer by Joe Orsulak in the first inning and then sailed. He had retired 17 in a row when he hit Fernando Vina with two out in the ninth inning, then issued his only walk, to Bobby Bonilla.

Robb Nen then struck out Jeff Kent to pick up his fourth save.