National League Roundup : Perez Back in Form, Shuts Out Cardinals

Pascual Perez, who led the late-season surge by the Montreal Expos last year, is ready to do it again.

Perez, out since May 7 with a broken finger, gave up just five hits in eight innings Tuesday night at Montreal to pitch the Expos to a 7-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Andres Galarraga drove in two runs with a triple and home run, and Nelson Santovenia also had a home run to give Perez all the help he needed.

Perez did not join the Expos until late August last season, but he pitched brilliantly, getting seven straight victories and contributing to two others. It wasn’t his fault the Expos didn’t catch the Cardinals.

Once the most promising pitchers in the majors, Perez won 15 games in 1983 and 14 in 1984. He won only 1 of 14 the next season and was out of baseball in 1986. He seem finished.

His comeback last season was a major story in baseball. And after Tuesday’s performance, he seems sharp once more.

Perez, who suffered an injury trying to field a Nolan Ryan bunt May 7, struck out six and walked none in his return after missing nine starts.

“I had such good control, I could have thrown strikes with my eyes closed,” Perez, 31, said.

“The big thing for me was to stay in shape through the injury. I knew I could throw, but I did a lot of running to keep myself strong.”

Although his winning percentage is only .500, the right-hander has a 1.62 earned-run average.

Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog has vowed not to let Galarraga, the Expos’ top hitter, beat his club. But this marked the second straight game in which Galarraga made the big hit.

New York 9, Pittsburgh 0--Kevin McReynolds hit a grand slam at New York as the Mets served notice they are ready to handle their challengers.

Pitcher Ron Darling, posting his fifth victory in his last six decisions, gave up seven hits, and didn’t walk a batter.

Philadelphia 6, Chicago 1--David Palmer pitched seven strong innings and also hit a run-scoring double at Philadelphia as the Phillies ended the Cubs’ five-game winning streak.

Palmer (3-6) gave up a run and six hits in one of his top performances for the Phillies.

Mike Schmidt had an RBI single in the first inning to give the Phillies a two-run lead. Schmidt has 1,538 runs batted in and moved ahead of Joe DiMaggio into 24th place on the all-time RBI list.

Houston 3, Cincinnati 1--The Astros ran wild at the Astrodome to knock off the Reds. They had a club-record seven stolen bases, including Craig Reynolds’ steal of home.

With the Astros trailing Jack Armstrong and the Reds, 1-0, going into the seventh, the Astros took control with three runs.

One-time Red Buddy Bell had a key double to drive in one run and he scored another.

It was a costly victory. Mike Scott lasted only two outs, leaving when he reinjured his left hamstring.

Joaquin Andujar replaced him and held the Reds to a run and three hits through the sixth inning.

San Diego 8, San Francisco 3--Dennis Rasmussen held the Giants to five hits in eight innings at San Francisco to lead the Padres to their second win in a row over the Giants. Mike Aldrete hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Giants.

Umpire Jerry Crawford had to leave the game when he was hit on the left hand by a foul tip off the bat of the Giants’ Candy Maldonado in the sixth. The game was delayed 13 minutes while crew chief Doug Harvey put on the gear and finished behind the plate.