National League Roundup : In Imperfect World, Browning Still Tops Giants

Tom Browning wasn’t quite perfect Wednesday night, but he was good enough to suit the Cincinnati Reds.

Browning, who pitched a perfect game against the Dodgers last Friday night, limited the San Francisco Giants to 5 hits in 8 innings of the Reds’ 5-1 victory at Cincinnati.

Browning was in a 1-1 battle with Rick Reuschel, but the Reds scored 4 times in the eighth inning. Rookie Van Snider, the home-run leader of the American Assn., hit a 3-run home run, his first homer in the majors, to culminate the uprising. Ken Griffey’s single drove in the tiebreaking run.

The victory improved Browning’s record to 17-5. It also deprived the Giants’ ace, Reuschel (19-9), of his 20th victory.

Will Clark’s sacrifice fly in the sixth gave the Giants the lead, but Barry Larkin, who later started the winning rally with a single, hit his 12th home run in the bottom of the sixth to tie it.

As he watched the Reds all but end the Giants’ hopes of repeating, San Francisco Manager Roger Craig marveled at Browning’s performance.

“He really pitched good,” he said. “He’s in some kind of groove.”

Browning came within one out of tying the major league record of 41 consecutive outs. It was spoiled by Clark’s single with two out in the first inning.

“I just wanted to give them a good game,” Browning said. “I’m in a groove. I stayed in it for most of the night.”

It was a tough loss for the Giants. Before Snider hit his home run into the second deck, the Reds had two bloop hits.

Houston 1, Atlanta 0--Bob Knepper gave up an infield hit to Dale Murphy in the second inning at Houston and, as it turned out, it spoiled Knepper’s bid for his first no-hitter.

Knepper (14-5) ended the Astros’ losing streak at 6 games with his first 1-hitter. When Gerald Young singled to right field to score Ken Caminiti in the eighth, it ended the Astros’ scoreless streak at 25 innings.

Knepper struck out 7 and walked only 1 to outpitch Pete Smith, who allowed 7 hits.

Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 0--The Pirates are dying hard. John Smiley pitched a 2-hitter at St. Louis to prevent the New York Mets from clinching the East title.

Smiley (12-10), whose shoulder problems hurt the Pirates in midseason, retired the last 15 batters to hand the Cardinals their 16th shutout.

Jose DeLeon (12-9) gave up 8 hits, including a 3-run home run to Benny Distefano in the ninth, and his 6-game winning streak ended. Distefano hit the seventh pinch homer this season for the Pirates, tops in the majors.

Smiley did not walk a batter and faced only 2 more than the minimum of 27 batters.

Montreal 8, Chicago 5--Graig Nettles is 44, but he wants to stay in the majors at least a couple of more years.

Nettles doubled in the go-ahead run in a 6-run ninth inning at Chicago that rallied the Expos.

The Expo rally deprived rookie Mike Harkey of a victory. Harkey limited the Expos to 6 hits and 2 runs, only 1 earned, and departed with a 5-2 lead in the eighth.