NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McGriff’s a Real Hit in Atlanta With Two More Home Runs

Fred McGriff hit two more home runs, giving him three in two games with Atlanta, as the Braves beat the Cardinals, 14-2, Wednesday at Atlanta.

McGriff, acquired Sunday from San Diego, is four for eight with three runs and five runs batted in since the trade. He went three for four with three RBIs Wednesday.

The Braves ended a seven-game home stand at 5-2 but are nine games behind the Giants in the National League West.

Greg Maddux (10-8) gave up four hits in six innings and became the third Brave pitcher to reach double figures in victories. Tom Glavine has 11 and Steve Avery 10.

Maddux, who left after a one-hour 27-minute rain delay, had four strikeouts and no walks.

Francisco Cabrera hit a grand slam. Every Brave starter except Maddux had at least one hit.

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San Francisco 4, Montreal 3--Giant Manager Dusty Baker had been waiting all season to pull off a suicide squeeze. When he finally called it, it won a ballgame at San Francisco.

Kirt Manwaring bunted home Mark Carreon to break a seventh-inning tie, completing a three-game sweep for the Giants.

Bryan Hickerson (5-1) pitched seven strong innings and is 5-0 in seven starts since being moved to the rotation.

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Houston 5, Pittsburgh 3--Darryl Kile, a third-year pitcher who began the season with a 12-21 career record, improved to 11-1 by winning his ninth consecutive decision, at Pittsburgh.

Kile pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and three walks with a season-high 10 strikeouts.

Kile, who had an eight-decision losing streak from April 29 to Aug. 30 last season, suffered his only loss this season on May 18 at San Francisco.

The Astros scored four of their runs in the fifth against Steve Cooke (5-6). Steve Finley had a two-run double, Chris James hit a sacrifice fly and Luis Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games with an RBI single.

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Chicago 4, Cincinnati 1--Jeff Reardon, who had given up only one run in his last 19 appearances, gave up three runs to the Cubs in the eighth at Cincinnati.

Reardon (2-3) had pitched out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the Reds’ victory Monday, but the Cubs hit him hard this time, opening the inning with four consecutive hits.

Derrick May and Sammy Sosa had singles, and Rick Wilkins doubled into the right-field corner to break a 1-1 tie, with Sosa getting thrown out at the plate. Pinch-hitter Doug Jennings followed a triple and scored on Rey Sanchez’s squeeze bunt--the Cubs’ first of the season.

Starting pitchers Jose Guzman of Chicago and Jose Rijo of Cincinnati were overpowering in the first seven innings.

Guzman (9-7) retired the first 12 batters; Rijo had eight strikeouts to raise his league-leading total to 135.

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Florida 6, Colorado 4--Rookie Pat Rapp registered his first major league victory, helping his cause with a two-run single at Miami.

The game was the last between the expansion teams this season. Colorado won the series, 7-5.

Florida’s Gary Sheffield hit a two-run homer, his 14th, and Benito Santiago and Walt Weiss also had RBI hits.

Rapp (1-2), making his first appearance at Joe Robbie Stadium, had a career-high six strikeouts. Brian Harvey got the final three outs for his 27th save.

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New York 5, San Diego 2-- Dwight Gooden won despite a bout with wildness at San Diego.

Gooden (9-10) won for only the second time in his last eight decisions--both against the Padres--despite walking five batters and hitting one in seven-plus innings.

Eddie Murray hit a two-run homer for the Mets, who won for the fourth time in five games but still have the worst record in major league baseball (31-63).