National League Roundup : Giants’ Reuschel Wins Any Old Way He Can

Rick Reuschel, 39, is old by baseball standards; he gives up more than a hit an inning, and he hasn’t had a complete game all season.

But he is the San Francisco Giants’ top winner and probably their most dependable pitcher.

Reuschel improved his record to 11-4 when he held the heavy-hitting Chicago Cubs to six hits in eight innings of a 2-0 victory Wednesday in San Francisco.

It was the Giants’ 8th victory in their last 10 games and their second shutout in a row over the Cubs, the top hitting team in the National League.

While praising Reuschel as a fellow with “19 different speeds,” Cub Manager Don Zimmer was not very happy with third base umpire Larry Poncino.

With one out in the ninth and a runner on base, Darrin Jackson hit a blooper to shallow left-center. Center fielder Brett Butler dived for the ball and came up with it. Television replays showed that the ball bounced before Butler caught it.

“I never saw the ball bounce,” Poncino said. “The grass is high out there, but in my judgment it was a clean catch.”

Zimmer complained loud and long that it wasn’t a catch.

“I asked Poncino to look at the ball and see if there were grass stains on it,” Zimmer said. “But he wouldn’t do it.

“I’m not using this as an excuse. The guy pitched a shutout against us.

“He’s got 19 different speeds. You’re looking for a fastball, you get a slow one. You look for a slow one and you get a slower one. You look for a slower slow one and he gives you the fastball. It drives you wacky. I’m glad I don’t have to face him.”

This was Reuschel’s 18th start this season and only the fourth time he had made it through eight innings. But in only three of them has he failed to go at least six.

In three of his four defeats, the Giants didn’t score a run. Jamie Moyer (5-8) gave up only four hits in seven innings, but one of them was a leadoff double by Jose Uribe in the third. Uribe made it around on two sacrifice bunts.

New York 5, Cincinnati 4--Ron Darling picked up his 10th victory, but his pitching wasn’t all that sharp in New York.

Darling, who allowed 4 runs in 6 innings, was a winner because he singled in the winning run to cap a three-run rally in the sixth inning.

It also helped that bullpen ace Randy Myers retired the last seven Reds to get his 13th save.

Darryl Strawberry hit his 21st home run in the first inning to get the Mets off to a 2-0 lead.

But in the top of the sixth the Reds, who won the first two games of the series, had two-run homers from Kal Daniels and Paul O’Neill to take a shortlived 4-2 lead.

Montreal 4, Houston 2--Pascual Perez (6-3) gave up just five hits in eight innings at Houston to pitch the surging Expos to their seventh win in eight games.

The Astros, who just a couple of weeks ago were battling the Dodgers for first place in the West, lost for the eighth time in their last nine games.

Rex Hudler singled in what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning.

Atlanta 3, Philadelphia 2--Ken Oberkfell singled in the winning run with one out in the eighth inning at Atlanta to give the Braves their first sweep of a three-game series this season.

Zane Smith went eight innings, ending his three-game losing streak. Bruce Sutter pitched the ninth to get his 13th save.

The Braves learned that Dale Murphy will be out about a week because of a shoulder injury.