National League Roundup : Pirates Turn Up Heat in East, Burn Giants, 5-4

The temperatures have been reaching three figures lately in Pittsburgh, but the Pirates are even hotter.

Barry Bonds limped to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Sunday and hit a two-run home run to give the Pirates a 5-4 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants. It was the ninth consecutive victory for the Pirates and gave them a four-game sweep over the Giants.

Because of a serious knee injury that will eventually require surgery, Bonds must take an occasional day off. This was it.

But, when Junior Ortiz drew a two-out walk with the score tied, 3-3, Bonds came up to bat for reliever Jeff Robinson (7-2). He hit his 17th homer and it kept the Pirates just 2 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.

“It’s tough to pinch hit, at least it is for me because I don’t do it that often,” Bonds said. “You haven’t been in the game and all of a sudden you have to go in there and do something.

“A lot of times in that situation, you try to do too much. I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, I was trying to make contact. Lately, I’ve been doing the job. It’s one of those times when everything’s going my way.”

The Pirates, who outscored the Giants, 32-12, in four games, have made a believer of San Francisco Manager Roger Craig.

“The Pirates are red hot,” Craig said. “They have a good chance to win the division, if they can keep the momentum going.

“I do see a problem. They’ve never been in it before, and that might make a difference. They’ll feel the pressure and things can happen. But they’ve got a good ballclub and a tough group to hit against.”

However, the Pirates are no fluke. They began to jell late last season. They won 27 of their final 38 games in 1987. So for the last 128 games, they are 80-48.

Philadelphia 10, Houston 4--When Mike Schmidt, who was in a season-long slump, announced last week that he intends to return next season, management gave a lukewarm response.

Now that the veteran third baseman is showing signs of coming out of the slump, look for a change of attitude.

Schmidt hit his 538th home run, a double and triple and drove in four runs in this romp at Philadelphia. Since the All-Star break, Schmidt is 6 for 13, including two home runs.

First baseman Ricky Jordan is 537 home runs behind Schmidt, but he hit a homer in his first official major-league at-bat. Jordan was brought up from Maine of the International League Friday.

The field temperature at Veterans Stadium was 146 degrees.

New York 4, Atlanta 2--The Mets are responding to the pressure of the Pirates. Although it was a struggle at Atlanta, the leaders of the East won 3 of 4 games.

Bob Ojeda retired the first 14 Atlanta batters and Darryl Strawberry hit his 24th home run to lead the Mets.

Ojeda (7-7) gave up his fifth hit to open the ninth and left with a 4-1 lead. Roger McDowell earned his 10th save and second in two games.

Mookie Wilson and Tim Teufel also homered for the Mets.

Wilson, who was hit with a pitch in the seventh, took a couple of steps toward pitcher Tom Glavine, but was restrained.

After the game, the unhappy Wilson, who platoons with Len Dykstra in center field, again said he wants to be traded.

Cincinnati 3, Montreal 1--Jack Armstrong may not be the All-American boy of old-time radio, but he impressed Manager Bob Rodgers of the Expos in this game at Montreal.

Armstrong gave up two hits and three walks in seven innings to lower his earned-run average, which was 7.48 before the game started.

“The way he pitched today he won’t have a high ERA much longer,” Rodgers said. “I think we’re going to be hearing a lot about this young man. He has a live arm.”

Paul O’Neill hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning and Armstrong (2-3) won with help from the bullpen.

San Diego 3, St. Louis 1--The Cardinals had the best record in the league last season, but Manager Whitey Herzog said they have forgotten how to win.

Eric Show (9-7) pitched a complete game 5-hitter in 101-degree heat at St. Louis to hand the slumping Cardinals their 11th loss in 13 games in July.

“We don’t have any confidence,” said Herzog, whose team is only one-half game out of last place in the East. “We’re in trouble.”

The Padres’ Tony Gwynn extended his hitting streak to 12 games.