NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Reardon Double Good as the Braves Win Two

Jeff Reardon, acquired a day earlier to bolster a beleaguered bullpen, bailed Atlanta out of a bases-loaded jam in the opener, then earned a save in the second game Monday night as the Braves completed a doubleheader sweep of the Mets at New York.

Terry Pendleton, David Justice and Damon Berryhill homered in the nightcap that ended at 12:59 a.m., EDT, with the Braves winning, 7-5.

Lonnie Smith, Ron Gant and Jeff Blauser homered in the first game, which the Braves won, 8-6, in the 14th inning on Otis Nixon’s two-out, two-run double.

The Braves ended the Mets’ seven-game winning streak in the first game and took a 6 1/2-game lead in the NL West over Cincinnati, which was swept in four games in New York during the weekend.

The Braves have won nine consecutive games at Shea Stadium.

Reardon, obtained from Boston for two minor leaguers, pitched one inning to save the second game. He is baseball’s all-time saves leader with 355.

In the opener, Nixon was hitless in six at-bats--making five outs while leading off innings--before slicing the game-winner on a 3-and-2 pitch from Lee Guetterman.

Reardon pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th and pitched two scoreless innings.

Nixon made a big defensive play in the 12th after Kevin Bass led off with a single. Bass stole second and tried to advance on catcher Damon Berryhill’s overthrow, but Nixon nailed him at third.

Montreal 8, Cincinnati 4--Larry Walker drove in five runs with a two-run homer, a two-run single and a double to lead the Expos at Cincinnati.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for Cincinnati.

The win pulled Montreal to within three games of idle Pittsburgh in the NL East.

The five-RBI night was a career high for Walker. He drove in four runs on May 10, 1991, at San Diego.

St. Louis 6, San Diego 2--Bob Tewksbury pitched a seven-hitter and Andres Galarraga hit a home run as the Cardinals beat the Padres at St. Louis.

Tewksbury (14-5) lowered his major league-leading earned run average to 2.01. He struck four and walked none. He has walked just 16 batters in 201 innings, and has not walked a batter in 17 of his 27 starts.

Tracy Woodson and Geronimo Pena drove in two runs apiece for the Cardinals, who have won 13 of their last 18 games.

Houston 9, Philadelphia 2--Eric Anthony hit his second grand slam of the season and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Astros over the Phillies at Houston.

The victory was Houston’s fifth in six games and eighth in its last 11 games.

Butch Henry (5-9) pitched an eight-hitter for his second complete game of the season. He walked two and struck out three.

Houston scored five times in the sixth inning. They loaded the bases on walks to Craig Biggio and Steve Finley and an infield single by Luis Gonzalez before Anthony hit his grand slam.