NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Drabek Picks Up the Pace and Pirates Increase Lead

There are two weeks left in the season and the news keeps getting worse for the Montreal Expos. Doug Drabek is winning, Barry Bonds won’t stop hitting and the Pittsburgh Pirates are showing no signs of letting up.

Drabek won his fourth consecutive start as the Pirates posted a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night at Pittsburgh.

Drabek (14-10) improved to 7-3 over the second half of the season and is 60-29 after the All-Star break in his career. He scattered eight hits in his ninth complete game and fourth shutout, matched a career high with 11 strikeouts and walked only one.

“I don’t know what it is, maybe the longer I go along in a season I get the kinks out and get into a groove,� Drabek said. “But I try to take every game the same, whether it’s May or September.�

Bonds went three for three for the Pirates, who increased their NL East lead over the Expos to five games. The Pirates, trying to become the first team since Philadelphia in 1976-78 to win three consecutive NL East championships, have won five of six games, 15 of 20 and are 34-13 since July 30.

Bonds is five for six with two runs batted in during the series and 15 for 24 in his last six games. He has reached base 49 times in 80 plate appearances in September, going 28 for 59 (.474) with 21 runs scored.

New York 7, Montreal 5--Chico Walker singled with the bases loaded to break an eighth-inning tie as the Mets won at New York.

Pinch-hitter Kevin Bass led off the eighth with a triple against Jeff Fassero (7-6). The Mets then loaded the bases on Mel Rojas’ walk to pinch-hitter Darryl Boston and Mackey Sasser’s fielder’s choice grounder. Walker’s single to right scored pinch-runner Pat Howell.

Eddie Murray followed with an RBI single, making him 10 for 14 with the bases loaded this season. A walk to Jeff Kent forced home another run, and Todd Hundley made it 7-3 with a sacrifice fly off Gil Heredia.

Houston 3, Atlanta 2--Ernest Riles led off the 12th inning with his first home run of the season, leading the Astros at Atlanta.

Atlanta has lost three in a row and its NL West lead over Cincinnati was cut to 7 1/2 games.

Doug Jones (10-8) pitched three scoreless innings. The game ended when left fielder Luis Gonzalez threw out pinch-runner Brian Hunter at the plate.

Cincinnati 5, San Diego 2--Bobby Ayala pitched seven shutout innings to get his first major league victory and Barry Larkin drove in three runs at Cincinnati.

Ayala (1-1) gave up eight hits and struck out six in seven-plus innings in his third major league start. He left in the eighth after giving up a walk and a double to Tony Fernandez, and the Padres scored twice against reliever Steve Foster, on Jim Vatcher’s groundout and Fred McGriff’s double.

Rob Dibble pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Larkin had a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer off Frank Seminara (8-4) to increase his RBI total to a career-high 70. Joe Oliver doubled home a run, and Cincinnati scored its fifth run when Larkin hit into a double play.

Chicago 6-10, St. Louis 5-11--A five-for-five, four-walk performance by Ryne Sandberg could only get the Cubs a doubleheader split at Chicago.

Stan Royer singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as St. Louis won the second game.

Sandberg had three hits as the Cubs won the opener for their fourth consecutive victory. He tied the second game with a two-run homer in the ninth against Lee Smith (4-7), before Royer singled home Ray Lankford.