National League Roundup : Reuschel Returns, Buoys Giants’ Spirits

The San Francisco Giants have had more than their share of bad luck with injuries to pitchers, including the tragic broken arm of Dave Dravecky.

But the key players on offense, Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell, have been relatively healthy. They’re two reasons why the Giants have a three-game lead in the National League West.

Clark, who hasn’t missed a game, hit a three-run home run to help Rick Reuschel return from the disabled list with a 5-2 victory over the Phillies Friday night at Philadelphia.

Reuschel, out since July 29 because of a groin injury, needed all the help he could get. The 40-year-old right-hander improved to 14-5 but gave up both runs and eight hits in six innings. Craig Lefferts and Steve Bedrosian finished.

It was the 20th home run for Clark, who also had a double and a single to increase his average to .345, best in the major leagues. With 90 runs batted in, Clark is second only to Mitchell, who has missed five games but has 39 home runs and 105 RBIs.

Clark isn’t concerned about a batting title.

“I’m caught up right now with the pennant race, not the batting race,” Clark said. “I’m feeling good at the plate and just want to help us win.”

The Giants, by far the best home team in the league, are 3-1 on this trip. They will have 22 home games and only 13 road games left when they return home next week.

If they can stay in front by three or four on the road, they figure to be tough to beat.

Of course, they will be without Dravecky, whose arm broke while he was making a pitch Tuesday night at Montreal, for the rest of the season. That injury gave special significance to Reuschel’s return.

“I was reasonably sharp,” Reuschel said.

“I had no pain. I could have pitched to some more hitters. I’m happy with the results.”

Matt Williams, who has been a third power hitter for the Giants lately, hit his 10th home run in the fifth inning. In the last nine games, Williams has hit six home runs and driven in 14 runs.

Montreal 5, San Diego 2--When the Expos needed somebody to pick them up and keep them in the race in the East, Pascual Perez came through.

The veteran right-hander, a disappointment most of the season, pitched a six-hitter, struck out seven and laid down a squeeze bunt to score the go-ahead run at Montreal.

It was only the Expos’ fourth victory in their last 15 games.

“A game like this is the kind we have to win,” said Perez (7-12). “We don’t have to get 12 hits or five homers, but we have to do the little things we do well. That’s why I practice bunting so much.”

Houston 6, Chicago 5--When the Cubs built a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning at Houston, it appeared that the Astros would drop four games behind the Giants in the West.

Jerome Walton singled in the third to extend his hitting streak to 28 games, tying the club record set by Ron Santo in 1966. He scored a run and drove in one as the Cubs surged ahead.

The Astros battled back. They pulled within a run when Glenn Davis hit his 29th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth.

Doubles by Bill Doran and Davis tied the score in the ninth. With runners on first and second and two out, Jeff Pico gave an intentional walk to Harry Spilman to load the bases, then an unintentional walk to Rafael Ramirez to end the game.

The Cubs’ lead in the East was cut to 3 1/2 games over New York.

Cincinnati 6-8, St. Louis 2-3--Todd Benzinger hit a grand slam in the eighth inning off Cardinal reliever Todd Worrell in the nightcap, after Tom Browning overcame three rain delays totaling 2 1/2 hours in the opener to pitch a five-hitter for his fifth straight win.

The second game had another rain delay of 34 minutes in the first inning.

Benzinger hit two homers, a triple, a double and a single in eight at-bats and drove in seven runs in the doubleheader.

In the second game, Eric Davis hit his 27th homer of the season and his eighth in his last 14 games for a 3-2 Red lead in the sixth.

Atlanta 13, Pittsburgh 6--Darrell Evans hit his 414th home run, and Lonnie Smith, coming back strong after a day of rest, led the Braves’ 15-hit attack at Atlanta.

Smith had three singles, scored a run and drove in two runs.

Evans, 42, hit his 11th home run of the season in a four-run first inning that matched the Pirates’ first inning off Tom Glavine. But Glavine lasted into the sixth inning and improved to 12-6.