NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Hill Gets His 16th Victory and Expos Get Their 17th in 19 Games

Ken Hill became the National League’s first 16-game winner as the Montreal Expos beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-4, Sunday at Philadelphia.

It was the Expos’ 17th victory in 19 games.

Moises Alou tripled, doubled and singled and drove in two runs for the Expos, who have won 17 of their last 19 games and have the best record in the majors (71-39). Alou is 19 for 49 (.388) in his last 11 games.

Hill (16-5) pitched seven-plus innings and gave up four runs and seven hits. He walked two and did not strike out a batter in matching his career-high win total. He was 16-9 in 1992.

Mel Rojas pitched two innings for his 16th save.

“I didn’t have my real good stuff but the key is to get guys out,” Hill said. “I had a real good splitter though and that was it. I certainly didn’t have very good velocity like I usually have.”

Houston 7, San Francisco 4--The Giants lost their sixth in a row to fall five games behind the Dodgers in the National League West. They have been outscored 57-29 during the streak.

Meanwhile, the Astros have won six in a row. In this game at Houston, Doug Drabek (12-6) gave up six hits in seven innings and also went two for three.

Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Jeff Bagwell went one for four and extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games. Bagwell, who has already set Houston single-season records for homers, RBIs, and extra base hits, is 29 for 61 (.475) with 10 homers and 23 RBIs during the streak.

Barry Bonds hit his 37th homer for the Giants. Matt Williams, who hit his major league-leading 42nd homer on Saturday, went 0 for 4 and had his hitting streak ended at 16 games.

Cincinnati 3, Atlanta 2--Kevin Mitchell hit his 30th homer, one of three by the Reds, and Pete Schourek pitched seven strong innings at Cincinnati.

Montreal’s victory ensured that Atlanta will be in second place in the National League East, trailing the Expos, on the players’ Aug. 12 strike date. The Braves, who won at a .681 pace in the second half of the last two years, are 13-12 since the All-Star break.

Schourek (7-2) gave up only three hits over seven innings to help the Reds keep sole possession of first place in the National League Central. Jeff Brantley gave up an RBI single in the eighth to Jeff Blauser, and gave up a leadoff double to Fred McGriff in the ninth before closing for his 14th save.

Florida 2, New York 0--Ryan Bowen pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings in his first start in nearly three months as the Marlins beat the Mets at New York.

“I hope we don’t go on strike,” said Bowen (1-5), activated from the disabled list late Saturday and starting for the first time since May 9. He gave up three hits, struck out six and walked four before running into trouble in the eighth.

Bowen was originally sidelined with pulled muscles in his rib cage and then developed a sore shoulder during a rehabilitation start. His next scheduled start is Aug. 12, the date the players have set to begin a strike.

“I’m not surprised he pitched this well,” Florida Manager Rene Lachemann said. “His problem is consistency. He’s pitched some pretty ugly games.”

Pittsburgh 6, St. Louis 5--Jay Bell grounded a single up the middle against a drawn-in infield for his fifth hit and the Pirates blew a three-run lead before winning at Pittsburgh.

The two teams stranded 28 runners--16 by Pittsburgh and 12 by St. Louis--on 29 hits as the two bullpens took turns giving the game away.

The Pirates, salvaging the final game of the three-game series, loaded the bases in the ninth with none out against Bryan Eversgerd (2-3) as Tom Foley doubled, Don Slaught singled and Gary Varsho was hit by a pitch.

TV replays showed Varsho intentionally stuck out his right knee to be struck by the pitch, leading to a brief argument and Cardinals manager Joe Torre’s ejection.

Eversgerd then struck out Carlos Garcia and ran the count to 2-2 before Bell, five for six with two doubles, singled into center field to end the game.

San Diego 5, Chicago 1--Tony Gwynn went three for five in the Padres’ victory at Chicago, raising his average to .392.

Gwynn hit a solo homer, an RBI double and a single, posting his 52nd multi-hit game, tops in the National League. He flew out to right in his two other at-bats.

Scott Livingstone went four for five to lead the Padres’ 17-hit attack.