NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Jackson Comes Back as Bad as When He Left

Well, rest didn’t help.

Danny Jackson, in the throes of the worst slump of his career, had taken two weeks off to try to rebuild his stamina, believed depleted by off-season treatment for cancer.

Tuesday, he returned to start for the St. Louis Cardinals and gave up five runs--three earned--in the first inning of a 6-2 loss at Houston.

Jackson, whose every mention in St. Louis is accompanied by the modifier “who signed a three-year, $10.8-million free-agent contract,” lasted five innings and walked four in running his record to 0-8.

“I just had one big rough inning,” Jackson said. “I just didn’t quite get everything going until the third, fourth and fifth. I felt more like I should then. I think I was just trying too hard.”

His counterpart, Doug Drabek (4-5), allowed only one run--that on a balk--and struck out 11 in 7 2/3 innings in rebounding from a seven-run outing in 2 2/3 innings against Chicago. It was also his first victory in six decisions at the Astrodome.

The victory was Houston’s eighth in the last 11 games, but only its 11th in 28 home games.

Pittsburgh 6, Chicago 5--Denny Neagle, a beacon in the Pirates’ pitching darkness all season, won his ninth game by becoming the first Pittsburgh pitcher to hit a grand slam in nearly 10 years.

Neagle (9-3) gave up three runs on six hits and struck out six in seven innings in Pittsburgh for his fourth victory in a row, achieved when he homered with the bases loaded in the sixth inning off Jim Bullinger (4-1) to break a 2-2 tie.

Montreal 3, Atlanta 0--Butch Henry and Mel Rojas shut out the Braves, the last team in the National League to be blanked, and Wil Cordero and Moises Alou hit solo home runs in the first inning of Montreal’s third victory in 13 games.

Atlanta had won three in a row and 10 of 13.

Henry (3-5) gave up five hits, walked three and struck out five in 8 1/3 innings, and Rojas closed for his 12th save.

Cincinnati 12, Philadelphia 3--Pitcher John Smiley (7-1) hit his second home run of the season, helping himself win for the sixth time in seven starts, as the Reds won at Philadelphia.

Reggie Sanders hit a three-run homer, his 13th, and Bret Boone and Craig Worthington had solo shots for the Reds, who broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning, chasing Michael Mimbs (6-2).

New York 2, Florida 0--Bill Pulsipher earned his first major league victory, striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings at Miami.

Pulsipher (1-2) escaped a first-and-third, no-out jam in the first inning by retiring Jeff Conine on a popup, striking out Andre Dawson and getting Terry Pendleton on a grounder. With runners on second and third and two outs in the sixth, Pulsipher struck out Greg Colbrunn for the third time in a row.

Colorado 5, San Francisco 1--Bill Swift, making his first appearance against his former club, gave up two hits in seven shutout innings at San Francisco as the Giants lost their fifth in a row.