NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates’ Smith Keeps Winning at Home, 9-1

One of the reasons the Pirates made a deal for Zane Smith last August was because the left-hander pitches so well at Pittsburgh.

Smith improved his record at Three Rivers Stadium to 11-2 and added a key hit to trigger a six-run inning Friday night in a 9-1 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Smith gave up eight hits in seven innings. He is 5-0 at home this season.

His double broke a 1-1 tie, and Bobby Bonilla added a three-run home run in the big inning.

The Pirates, who had lost four of their previous five games, also had a home run from Bobby Bonds and increased their lead in the National League East to two games over the New York Mets.

Smith (6-2) is 8-1 at home since joining the Pirates.

New York 6, St. Louis 2--David Cone’s pitching and hitting at New York helped put the Mets back in second place in the East.

Although he gave up eight hits and fell behind early, Cone settled down, struck out 12 and drove in two runs to improve his record to 4-3.

The surprising Cardinals led, 2-1, when Cone came up with the bases loaded in the fourth inning and singled in two runs. That helped Cone end his three-game losing streak. The Mets had lost four of five.

Keith Miller, playing second base in place of Gregg Jefferies, doubled home the first Mets’ run and singled in another in the fifth.

Chicago 4, Montreal 3--Jim Essian, the new manager of the Cubs, is 3-0 after two young pitchers came through at Chicago.

Bob Scanlan (2-0) gave up three hits in 7 2/3 innings and Heath Slocumb struck out Tim Wallach with two men on base to end the game and get his first save.

Ryne Sandberg and Shawon Dunston hit home runs for the Cubs.

Atlanta 3, San Francisco 2--Ron Gant singled home pinch-runner Mark Lemke with two out in the ninth inning at Atlanta to hand the Giants their seventh defeat in a row.

The rally enabled Tom Glavine to overcome two home runs by Kevin Bass and improve his record to 7-2.

The home runs gave the Giants a 2-0 lead. The Braves scored a run in the fifth inning and tied it on David Justice’s home run in the sixth.

The Giants lost first baseman Will Clark, who was spiked on the right foot by Lonnie Smith of the Braves in the third inning.

Houston 1, San Diego 0--Casey Candaele singled in a run with two out in the ninth at Houston.

Andy Benes had allowed only four hits before Candaele’s single scored Gerald Young from third base.

Curt Schilling was the winner, pitching a scoreless ninth after Pete Harnisch held the Padres to two hits in eight innings.