National League Roundup : Murphy’s Home Run Hands Scott, Astros a Tough Defeat, 1-0

For the second straight night, a late-inning homer by a slumping slugger decided a game between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros.

Monday, Glenn Davis, who entered that game 0 for 19, hit a three-run shot to give the Astros the win.

Tuesday night at Houston, Dale Murphy replied with a seventh-inning home run to give the struggling Braves a 1-0 victory over the NL West leaders. Atlanta’s David Palmer and Gene Garber, in a duel with strikeout leader Mike Scott, combined on a five-hitter.

“Just like last night’s game,” Atlanta Manager Chuck Tanner said. “You’ve seen four quality pitched games. It’s a shame someone had to come up a loser.”

“It’s been agonizing,” said Murphy, who has driven in only 40 runs. “I’m fighting a mental battle. I’m making too many mental mistakes.

“He was something,” Murphy said of Scott. “He’s got great velocity and great movement on his forkball.”

Scott (10-7), who flirted with a perfect game for 5 innings, allowed only three hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out 10 in eight innings to increase his major league-leading total to 197.

Murphy ripped a 2-and-1 pitch by Scott into the tunnel in center field with one out in the seventh. It was Murphy’s 15th home run of the season and fifth game-winning RBI.

Scott had retired the first 16 batters he faced before allowing a one-out single to Glenn Hubbard in the sixth.

Palmer (7-8) walked three and struck out seven over 7 innings with Garber getting the final four outs for his 13th save.

“Games can’t get any closer than 1-0 with a home run that scrapes the top of the fence, the only run,” Palmer said.

The Braves have won only five of their last 21 games. Houston is 9-4 since the All-Star break.

Three of Houston’s base-runners were thrown out stealing by Atlanta catcher Ozzie Virgil.

Philadelphia 12, St. Louis 7--The Phillies snapped out of a hitting slump with three early home runs at Philadelphia, including Von Hayes’ second career grand slam, to end the Cardinals’ seven-game winning streak.

A three-run homer by Juan Samuel in the second inning, a two-run blast by Glenn Wilson in the third and the slam by Hayes in the fourth gave the Phillies a 10-2 lead and put the game out of reach.

St. Louis, with Tommy Herr going 3 for 3, equaled the Phillies’ total of 14 hits, but only two went for extra bases.

Shane Rawley started for the Phillies but left with a strained upper back muscle after warming up for the fourth inning. Tom Hume (3-0) pitched three innings to pick up the victory.

Mets 3-1, Cubs 0-2--Howard Johnson made two errors in the seventh inning of the nightcap to allow Chicago to go ahead with an unearned run, and the Cubs, overwhelmed by Ron Darling earlier in the evening, gained a split of their doubleheader at New York.

In the opener, Darling scattered six hits in pitching his second shutout of the season, and Len Dykstra hit a two-run fourth-inning single. Darling (11-3) struck out eight and walked none as he pitched his fourth complete game. He retired 20 of the last 23 batters in winning for the third time in his last four starts. He has lost just four times in his last 31 starts.

The Mets maintained a 16 1/2-game lead in the National League East. Second-place Montreal was rained out at home against Pittsburgh.

Chris Speier, who had scored on Rick Anderson’s balk in the third inning of the nightcap, reached on Johnson’s first error in the seventh. After a sacrifice, Johnson threw the ball away on Bob Dernier’s infield single, and Speier scored the winning run.

San Diego 2, Cincinnati 1--Garry Templeton lined a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning at San Diego to drive in pinch-runner Jerry Royster from second base with the winning run.

The rally came off of reliever Ron Robinson (8-2), who struck out Steve Garvey to open the inning but walked Graig Nettles. After Bruce Bochy struck out, Royster went to second on Marvell Wynne’s single, setting the stage for Templeton.