NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Smith Gets Long-Awaited Thrill

Dwight Smith hadn’t had a home run since May 19. He hadn’t had a hit of any kind in so long that he had forgotten what it felt like, so he could be excused for jumping for joy as he rounded first base in the seventh inning Saturday night.

Smith had time to celebrate because his three-run homer had brought the Braves to within a run of the Padres before Jeff Blauser’s homer later in the inning gave Atlanta a 7-6 victory at San Diego.

“It’s been a long time since I hit the ball like I’m capable of,” Smith said after his homer helped the Braves rally from a five-run deficit.

Used mostly as a pinch-hitter, it has been a long time between thrills for Smith. “I haven’t been starting, and it’s tough,” he said. “You don’t get some timing with one at-bat, or even if you hit the ball hard.”

After Smith homered against Andy Ashby, Bryce Florie (2-1) came on in relief and walked Marquis Grissom. Blauser hit the next pitch over the left-field fence for what would prove the game-winner.

The homers by Smith and Blauser were the only seventh-inning hits for the Braves, who won their third in a row and 12th in 13 games this month.

Catcher Charlie O’Brien also homered for Atlanta, which had six hits and seven walks.

Ashby took the blame.

“It should never have gotten to the point where they had the tying run come to the plate,” he said. “Anytime you get ahead of the Braves or whoever, you have to shut the door and I didn’t do that. I gave it away. I lost the game.”

Cincinnati 4, Chicago 3--All-star outfielder Ron Gant left the game because of a rib injury and substitute Jerome Walton doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning for the Reds at Chicago.

Gant, among the league leaders in home runs and RBIs, winced after fouling off a pitch in the first inning, then doubled. He left in the middle of the second inning and is expected to be out two to five days.

Walton took Gant’s place in left field. With the score tied, 2-2, in the seventh inning, Thomas Howard led off with a single and was forced out on Barry Larkin’s grounder. Walton followed with his RBI double.

Pete Schourek (9-4) won his fifth consecutive decision.

Pittsburgh 9, St. Louis 2--Jeff King homered twice and drove in five runs at Pittsburgh, where Denny Neagle became the NL’s first 10-game winner.

Jay Bell homered into the fourth level in left field and Mark Parent also connected. The Pirates had not hit four home runs in a game since Sept. 29, 1993.

Neagle (10-4) succeeded in his third try at his 10th victory, giving up six hits in his third complete game. He is 5-0 at home.

Colorado 5, New York 4--Larry Walker hit a two-run double in the third inning that finished an ailing Bret Saberhagen (5-5), leading the Rockies to a victory at New York.

Saberhagen, the subject of several trade rumors, left because a strained muscle in his left side. He was examined by David Dines, the associate team physician, and his condition was listed as day to day.

Andres Galarraga had two RBI singles, and Dante Bichette and Mike Kingery each had three hits for the Rockies.

Bill Swift (5-2) won his fourth game in a row.

Montreal 5, Philadelphia 3--Rondell White and Wil Cordero had two doubles and three hits each, and each drove in two runs to support Butch Henry (4-7) in a victory at Montreal.

Henry gave up seven hits in six innings in winning for the second time in five starts. Mel Rojas picked up his 16th save.