National League Roundup : Magrane Five-Hits Montreal

Joe Magrane’s chances of defending his earned-run average title went out the window in his first three starts, but he has since returned to form.

Magrane pitched a five-hitter for his second straight shutout and Milt Thompson went 4 for 5 and scored four runs as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Montreal Expos, 10-0, Wednesday night at St. Louis.

“Joe’s a good athlete,” Thompson said. “He was sick (at) the beginning of the year. He went through some tough times.”

Magrane (5-5), who had a 2.18 ERA last season, gave up 18 earned runs in his first three starts, including 15 in two games against the New York Mets.

However, with 22 consecutive shutout innings, Magrane has lowered his ERA to 3.40.

“His ERA in his last seven starts has been 1.76,” Manager Whitey Herzog said. “We just haven’t scored him many runs.

“Take the two games against the Mets away (and) I don’t know what his ERA would be.”

St. Louis scored three runs or fewer in seven of Magrane’s eight previous starts. This time, he was backed by three double plays as he walked two and struck out one.

Pedro Guerrero had three run-scoring singles as the Cardinals pounded four pitchers for 16 hits.

“This team is very capable of scoring runs, provided we don’t get buried early,” said Magrane, whose double triggered a five-run third. “That’s one of the things I’m really trying to focus on now.”

St. Louis broke the game open by scoring five runs to take a 6-0 lead and chase Kevin Gross (6-5), who has lost 14 of 17 lifetime decisions against the Cardinals.

New York 2, Chicago 0--Dwight Gooden increased his career record against the Cubs to 18-3 as the Mets won a game shortened to 6 1/2 innings because of rain at Chicago.

The game was called after a delay of 1 hour 50 minutes.

Gooden (8-2) gave up four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking two before leaving with tightness in his right shoulder. The condition was not considered serious.

Len Dykstra homered in the third inning and Lee Mazzilli singled home a run in the fourth off Scott Sanderson (6-5).

San Francisco 10, Atlanta 1--Don Robinson pitched a three-hitter for seven innings and helped himself with a run-scoring single as the Giants beat the Braves at San Francisco for their fifth consecutive victory.

Robinson (5-4) struck out five and walked one after giving up a home run by Jeff Treadway leading off the game. Terry Mulholland pitched the eighth and Mike LaCoss finished for the Giants.

Derek Lilliquist (4-4) was the loser for the Braves, who have dropped six in a row.

Tracy Jones, Robby Thompson and Kirt Manwaring each drove in two runs for the Giants.

Pittsburgh 6, Philadelphia 4--Andy Van Slyke drove in three runs, two with a seventh-inning triple, to help the Pirates past the Phillies at Philadelphia.

John Smiley (6-2) earned his first victory in three career decisions against Philadelphia despite giving up four runs and seven hits in seven innings. The Phillies, who have lost 15 of 19, were the only NL team that Smiley hadn’t beaten.

Bill Landrum pitched two scoreless innings for his second save.

The Pirates, who had lost four in a row to Philadelphia, trailed, 4-3, when pinch-hitter John Cangelosi doubled and Gary Redus walked to start the seventh.

Jeff Parrett replaced Don Carman (2-9) and got Jose Lind to line out to right. But Van Slyke tripled down the right-field line to make it 5-4. Jeff King followed with a single to score Van Slyke for his first major league RBI.

San Diego 4, Cincinnati 2--At San Diego, Eric Show scattered 10 hits in 8 1/3 innings to become the Padres’ all-time leader in victories.

Show (7-6) earned his 93rd lifetime victory after failing three times, surpassing Randy Jones, who pitched for San Diego from 1973-80. Show walked three and struck out six. Mark Davis got the last two outs for his 18th save, passing Cincinnati’s John Franco for the major league lead.

Benito Santiago’s fifth homer broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth. The Padres added a run in the fifth when Roberto Alomar singled, took third on Marvell Wynne’s single and scored on a wild pitch by Jose Rijo (6-3).