NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Pirates Making Comebacks a Habit

No one can blame the Chicago Cubs for being wary of returning to Pittsburgh any time soon.

Not the way the Pirates come back against the Cubs at Three Rivers Stadium.

Heath Slocumb’s wild pitch with two out in the ninth inning allowed Barry Bonds to score the winning run and completed a four-run ninth-inning rally as the Pirates beat the Cubs, 4-3, Thursday night.

The victory was the Pirates’ third in their final at-bat against the Cubs in Pittsburgh this season. They scored six runs in the 11th inning to beat win, 13-12, on April 21, the biggest extra-inning comeback in major league history.

Two nights earlier, Andre Dawson hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth, but the Pirates scored two in the bottom of the inning to win, 5-4.

Cub rookie Frank Castillo, a 22-year-old right-hander making his major league debut, limited the Pirates to three hits in eight innings, but he quickly got into trouble in the ninth.

Lloyd McClendon, a former Cub, singled off Paul Assenmacher (3-4) to tie the score, 3-3. Slocumb replaced Assenmacher, walked pinch-hitter Don Slaught to load the bases, then struck out Jose Lind on a pitch in the dirt.

However, his first pitch to pinch-hitter Mitch Webster bounced away from catcher Rick Wilkins and scored Bonds standing up.

St. Louis 4, Philadelphia 2--Cardinal right-hander Ken Hill did not allow a hit until Dickie Thon’s triple with one out in the eighth inning at St. Louis.

Hill (7-5) gave way to Lee Smith, who got his 20th save, after pitching a one-hitter for eight innings.

Todd Zeile and Rich Gedman hit consecutive homers in the second inning to help the Cardinals complete a three-game sweep.

Tommy Greene (5-1), who pitched the National League’s only no-hitter this season on May 23 against the Montreal Expos, took the loss.

New York 4, Montreal 3--Pitcher David Cone went three for three at New York as the Mets got their first sweep at home.

Cone (7-5) gave up three runs and eight hits in seven innings. Jeff Innis pitched a perfect eighth inning and John Franco worked the ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances.

Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd (4-7) took a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning but could not hold it.

Cincinnati 3, San Diego 0--Barry Larkin drove in all the runs at Cincinnati with the first two-homer game of his career.

Larkin, who has 11 homers, hit both against Jose Melendez (3-3).

Jack Armstrong (5-6) pitched 5 2/3 innings for his first victory since May 23. Rob Dibble pitched the ninth for his league-leading 20th save.

Atlanta 3, Houston 0--Charlie Leibrandt pitched a three-hitter and Terry Pendleton drove in runs with his fifth and sixth consecutive hits at Houston.

Leibrandt (7-5) struck out three and walked two for his 16th career shutout.

Pendleton, who had four consecutive hits in Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory, grounded out in the fifth inning, ending his streak.

Mark Portugal (6-4) had his string of 10 victories in the Astrodome ended.