National League Roundup : Scott Strikes Out 13 as Astros Win

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Scott, who missed his last start because of back spasms, struck out a National League season-high 13 batters and combined with Larry Andersen on a three-hitter Friday night to lead the Astros to a 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Houston.

“I didn’t have any (back) pain,” said Scott, who improved his record to 6-3. “It’s not like it was in St. Louis when it felt like someone was sticking a knife in it. I actually tried to favor it early and had to convince myself it was all right.”

Scott beat the Giants once last year in five starts. But he allowed only 7 earned runs in 36 innings against San Francisco, and the one victory was a no-hitter in September to clinch the National League West title.

In his first outing against the Giants this season, Scott gave up first-inning singles to Chris Speier and Will Clark and allowed a run when Speier scored on a wild pitch. Scott walked Chili Davis with two out in the first, then retired the next 19 Giants and 21 of the final 22 batters he faced before Andersen replaced him to start the eighth.

“The first three or four innings, I had a real good fastball,” Scott said. “Then as the game wore on, I was able to get my split-finger over. I felt fine, but I told (Manager) Hal (Lanier) to go to the bullpen. I didn’t think it was wise to try to complete the game, even with a five-run lead.”

Giant Manager Roger Craig, who taught Scott the split-fingered pitch, said Scott would have beat an all-star team Friday night.

“He overmatched us,” Craig said. “Mike is the most dominating pitcher in the game . . . in the National League I know for sure.”

Scott, who twice struck out the side, improved his NL-leading strikeout total to 95.

Loser Mike Krukow (1-6) gave up five runs on eight hits in 4 innings. The right-hander, a 20-game winner last season, has not won since April 28.

St. Louis 5, Chicago 1--Greg Mathews and Todd Worrell combined on a two-hitter, and John Morris had three hits and two RBIs in the Cardinals’ second straight win over the Cubs at Chicago.

The victory, St. Louis’ 19th in 27 road games, stretched the Cardinals’ NL East lead to three games over the second-place Cubs.

Mathews (3-4) struck out six and walked four in 7 innings. The only hits he allowed were an RBI double by Jody Davis in the first and a single by Davis in the fourth. Worrell finished the game, walking one.

Morris tied the score in the fourth with an RBI single, and broke the 1-1 tie with a sixth-inning RBI single.

Scott Sanderson (4-2) got the loss despite striking out 10 in 5 innings. Eight consecutive St Louis outs from the second to the fourth inning were strikeouts.

San Diego 10, Atlanta 3--Eric Show pitched a five-hitter for his seventh straight victory over the Braves, and Tony Gwynn and Bruce Bochy hit home runs at Atlanta as the Padres won for only the 13th time this season.

Show improved his lifetime record against the Braves to 9-1, including a 4-0 mark at Atlanta. Show (2-7) snapped his six-game losing streak with the victory. He walked five and struck out four.

Gwynn, who entered the game with 10 hits in his last 14 at-bats, hit his fourth homer of the season, over the right-field fence in the first inning, and singled twice.

Bochy hit his second homer of the season, over the left-field fence in the fourth, scoring John Kruk, who had singled. Marvell Wynne doubled and scored on Kruk’s single in the seventh.

The Padres scored six runs in the eighth against reliever Jim Acker on a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter James Steels, Gwynn’s RBI single, a two-run single by Kruk and an error by shortstop Andres Thomas allowing two runs to score.

Philadelphia 7, Montreal 6--Von Hayes hit his second home run of the game to snap a seventh-inning tie and lead the Phillies past the Expos at Montreal.

The loss ended the Expos’ three-game winning streak.

The Phillies took a 6-4 lead on a two-run homer by Rick Schu in the sixth, but Tim Wallach’s two-run homer in the seventh tied the score, 6-6.

Hayes led off the bottom of the inning with his fifth homer, a drive into the right-field seats off reliever Andy McGaffigan (0-1).

Kevin Gross (4-4) pitched seven innings, and Steve Bedrosian pitched the final two innings for his 13th save. In his last 13 games, Bedrosian has 12 saves and 1 victory.