National League Roundup : Davis Hits a Grand Slam, Breaks Records

Eric Davis hit a grand slam in the third inning Saturday night at Pittsburgh to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory and set two National League records.

The slam was the third bases-loaded home run the Reds’ talented center fielder has hit this month. It is a feat never before accomplished by a National Leaguer.

It was his 19th homer this season. It was also the most ever hit in the league in April and May. He needs another today in the final day of the month to tie the major league record of 20 set by Mickey Mantle in 1956 with the New York Yankees.

The slam enabled Bill Gullickson to improve his record to 7-2. Gullickson gave up six hits in eight innings to hand the Pirates their fifth loss in a row. John Franco gave up a hit in the ninth.

With the Pirates leading, 1-0, the Reds loaded the bases in the third, on a walk, a throwing error by first baseman Sid Bream and a single by Kal Daniels. Davis belted a 1-1 pitch to left for his home run. He now leads the majors with 52 RBIs in just 41 games.

Teammate Dave Parker, a star in his own right, gave the ultimate tribute to Davis. Raising a glass of champagne, he said:

“Here’s to Big E. The best I’ve ever seen.”

Just in case the league’s pitchers aren’t already concerned with Davis, he isn’t too impressed with what he’s been doing.

“I really don’t think I’m swinging the bat that good,” he said. “I’m just trying to concentrate on what I have to do, swing at good pitches and make the pitchers give me something good to hit.

“The records are nice, but nobody sets out to break the records. They just come.”

And don’t forget, he keeps telling people, he’s just learning to play this game.

Chicago 11, Atlanta 6--The Cubs are looking for a backup shortstop so they can give Shawon Dunston an occasional rest. They feel that he plays so hard he will wear himself out playing every game.

The Braves don’t have a feeling he is about to tire--except maybe from running the bases. In this game at Atlanta, Dunston went 4 for 5, scored 3 runs and drove in 3.

With the Braves leading, 3-2, the Cubs hit six consecutive singles with two out in the sixth inning to go in front and wound up with the most runs and most hits (19) they’ve scored all season.

Dunston’s single in the sixth drove in the go-ahead run. He also had another single and two doubles.

St. Louis 3, Houston 2--Manager Whitey Herzog is wondering how long it can go on. The Cardinals keep on winning, although they seem to lose a pitcher every day.

The newest casualty is Danny Cox (5-2). After holding the Astros to six hits and two runs in six innings at St. Louis, Cox had to leave the game. Cox suffered a sprained ankle when he stepped on a catcher’s mask while backing up home plate in the first inning.

He kept pitching after the injury, but could go only six innings. After six innings, he complained of the ankle hurting and said his shoulder stiffened, too.

The Cardinals jumped on Bob Knepper (2-5) for all their runs in the third inning. The big blow was a two-out, two-run double by Terry Pendleton.

Against the left-hander Knepper, the Cardinals, with outfielders Vince Coleman and Jim Lindemann nursing leg injuries, had catcher Tony Pena in right and second baseman Jose Oquendo in left.

After Cox departed, four pitchers were needed to stop the Astros. Todd Worrell retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 11th save.

Montreal 6, San Francisco 4--Tim Wallach insists he’s not concerned with trying to fill the shoes of the departed Andre Dawson, but he has become the Expos’ big RBI man.

Wallach drove in five runs at San Francisco with a three-run home run and a single, and has driven in 28 runs in the last 24 games. His three-run blast off Mike Krukow (1-5) in the eighth broke a 3-3 tie.

It was the eighth consecutive loss at home for the Giants, and it knocked them out of a share of first place in the West.

Krukow, a 20-game winner last season, went the distance and even lowered his ERA a bit, which shows how poorly he has been pitching. He gave up six runs. He went into the game with a 6.37 ERA.

Floyd Youmans (3-3) struck out 12 in seven innings. Andy McGaffigan replaced Youmans, but needed help, in turn, from Randy St. Claire. St. Claire induced Jeffrey Leonard, who entered the game as the top hitter in the league, to hit into a game-ending double play.

New York 3, San Diego 0--Sid Fernandez gave the overworked Mets bullpen a night off by checking the lowly Padres with just five hits at San Diego and striking out 11 to improve his record to 6-2.

Fernandez delivered a sacrifice fly for the only run he needed to hand the hapless Padres their seventh defeat in a row.

Darryl Strawberry hit his 15th home run of the season off Eric Show (1-7) in the seventh.

The loss dropped the Padres 17 games out of first place. Their 11-39 record is the worst in the majors.