NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Phillies Complete Sweep of Braves

Gregg Jefferies says Philadelphia’s sweep of a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves “ought to open some eyes around the league.”

Jefferies had one of the key hits, a two-run homer in the first inning, as the Phillies beat the Braves, 3-2, Monday night at Atlanta, completing their first four-game sweep in Atlanta since 1973.

“That’s never happened to me before,” Jefferies said. “I’ve never swept the Braves anywhere, three games or four.”

Phillie Manager Jim Fregosi said, “Being we were 1-5 here last year, I guess it was a pretty good accomplishment.”

Phillie reliever Gene Harris escaped a first-and-third jam in the eighth, retiring pinch-hitter Charlie O’Brien on a foul pop and Marquis Grissom on a routine fly. Heathcliff Slocumb pitched the ninth for his fifth save, including the last three games against Atlanta.

The Phillies last swept a four-game series in Atlanta July 20-23, 1973, when Jim Lonborg, Dick Ruthven, Ken Brett and Wayne Twitchell were the winning pitchers. Philadelphia finished off this sweep by defeating Tom Glavine (1-1).

It was the first time the Braves had been swept in any four-game series since Cincinnati did it in 1990.

Montreal 7, Florida 5--Tony Tarasco hit a leadoff home run in the first inning, then doubled home the tying run during a three-run eighth that led the Expos over the Marlins at Montreal.

Tarasco, acquired from Atlanta along with Roberto Kelly and Esteban Yan for Marquis Grissom on April 6, went three for four, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and raising his average to .439.

“I didn’t think we could get a player like that,” Montreal Manager Felipe Alou said. “We share the same spring camp (with Atlanta), and when I saw him there, I never thought he’d be on our side.”

Chicago 7, St. Louis 4--Jim Bullinger lowered his ERA to a league-leading 0.51 and drove in two runs as the Cubs won at St. Louis.

Bullinger (2-0) gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings, but none were earned. He’s allowed one earned run in 17 2/3 innings. A former minor league infielder, Bullinger hit a sacrifice fly in a four-run second and had an RBI single in the sixth.

Houston 6, Pittsburgh 3--Second baseman Carlos Garcia’s throwing error on an apparent double-play ball set up Tony Eusebio’s go-ahead sacrifice fly in a mistake-filled ninth inning at Pittsburgh.

Besides Garcia’s error, rookie reliever Jason Christiansen, thinking the inning was over, carelessly flipped the ball away after covering first base on the second out, allowing another run to score.