National League Roundup : Brunansky’s Homers Lift Cardinals, 6-4

Tom Brunansky still isn’t sure of himself in the National League, so he wants to stay ahead of the game.

Brunansky hit two home runs, driving in three runs, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 victory over the San Diego Padres Thursday at San Diego.

“I never want to be in a situation where I’m 0-and-2,” Brunansky said. “I don’t know these guys and I’ll probably strike out a lot. You’ve got to be aggressive.”

Brunansky, traded to St. Louis last Friday by Minnesota, has three home runs the last two days.

Larry McWilliams (1-0) replaced starter Jose DeLeon in the second inning when the Padres loaded the bases with none out. He allowed a two-run single by Tony Gwynn, who had four hits, to tie the score, 4-4, then blanked the Padres until leaving in the seventh.

Scott Terry took over when McWilliams put runners on first and second with one out. He escaped that jam and lasted until the ninth, when Todd Worrell recorded the last out for his sixth save.

The Cardinals scored four runs off Ed Whitson in the second on a two-run homer by Brunansky, Ozzie Smith’s sacrifice fly and run-scoring double by Willie McGee.

St. Louis took a 5-4 lead in the third with an unearned run off Greg Booker (0-1), and Brunansky hit a solo homer in the fifth.

Pittsburgh 2, San Francisco 1--Darnell Coles singled home Bobby Bonilla in the 10th inning, and the Pirates got past the Giants at San Francisco for their 13th victory in 16 games.

The Pirates had only four hits and did not have a baserunner until the sixth, when Mike LaValliere led off with an infield single off San Francisco starter Kelly Downs.

Downs took a one-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning. But the Pirates tied the score when Coles led off with a double, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter R.J. Reynolds.

The Giants scored in the first when Brett Butler walked, stole second and came home on Will Clark’s single.