European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 21, 1992 the stars and stripes c Page 25giants, Houston Complete sweeps by the associated press san Francisco two teams were to be playing for first place in the National league West monday night at the Astrodome and they weren to the braves the reds or the dodgers no its the san Francisco giants against the Houston astros two teams which used weekend sweeps to tie for the division Lead with identical 7-5 records. A i told All of you Guys in Spring training that nobody was going to run away with this division a will Clark crowed sunday after the giants downed the Cincinnati reds 8-2 for a three game sweep. Clark who collected his 1,000th major league hit in a 7-3 Victory saturday added two Bis and raised his batting average to .395 in the giants fourth straight win. The giants who were never above .500 in 1991, batted .347 in the sweep out scored Cincinnati 22-8 and limited the injury battered reds to a .189 average and one extra base hit. A we caught the reds at the right time a Clark said. A a they re All banged up and we were Able to beat their top three starters. We took advantage of  Tom Browning was chased in a six run first saturday. One Day later Tim Belcher 1-2 gave up four runs in the first inning and trailed 7-0 after the third. Singles by Darren Lewis and Willie Mcgee got the giants going in a first inning that included Chris James run scoring double and rib singles by Robby Thompson and Rookie Jim Mcnamara. No sunday Thompsons double Rookie Royce Clayton a run scoring triple and rib singles by Mcnamara and Lewis did the big damage in the third inning enabling John Burkett 1-1 to coast to his first Victory. In other late games sunday astros 1, padres 0 Houston a Pete Incaviglia a run scoring single with two out in the 11th inning lifted Houston past san Diego for a three game sweep. The padres failed to take advantage of another Strong Effort by Andy Benes. Benes pitched nine innings allowing five hits walking one and striking out 11. The astros have won four straight games to improve to 7-5, while the padres have lost four in a Row. Dodgers 4, braves 2 los Angeles a Juan Samuel a two run single in the fourth inning a his first hit in 20 at bats against Atlanta a Steve Avery a put los Angeles ahead for Good. Tom Candiotti 3-0making his first appearance at dodger stadium scattered seven hits for his second Complete game the Only two recorded by los Angeles pitchers this season. Avery pitched six innings allowing six hits and four runs while walking one and striking out none. He entered the game with a career Mark of 5-0 against the dodgers with an 0.99 Era in six games. Reds shortstop Freddie acne Vidics argues Safe Call at second on giants Darren wis Gibson slam aids bucs 7th straight Montreal map Kirk Gibson hit a grand slam in Pittsburgh a nine run ninth inning and the pirates won their seventh game in a Row monday beating the Montreal expos 111 behind the pitching of unbeaten Randy Tomlin. The win boosted Pittsburgh a record atop the National league East to 10-2, the pirates Best Start since the 1962 club went 11-1. Gibson hit a 3-2 pitch to right off Bill Sampen and Barry Bonds who had singled to Lead off the inning followed later with a three run Homer also off Sampen. The pirates sent 13 men tool monday the plate As former teammate Bill Landrum was knocked around for five of the runs. Sampen gave up the other four runs. Tomlin worked 6v6 scoreless innings for his third Victory without a loss. He gave up five hits walked four and struck out four. Expo Pitcher Ken Hill 1-2 allowed his first earned run of the season in the fifth after 2036 innings of perfection. Hill breezed through the first four innings allowing Only one base runner Andy Van Slyke whom he walked in the first. In the fifth Orlando Merced singled off Bret Barb cried a Glove at third for Pittsburgh a first hit. Merced moved to second on a groundnut and stopped at third on Mike Lavalliere a single before coming Home on Jose Linda a fielders Choice. Hill worked six innings giving up five hits while striking out three and walking Only one. Rangers Rebuff a s on Reimer s Homer from wire reports Arlington Texas Kevin Reimer belted a two run Homer in the seventh inning sunday powering the Texas rangers to a 6-4 Victory Over the Oakland athletics. With Oakland leading 4-3, Dickie Thon stroked a one out single in the seventh to Chase Oakland starter Ron Darling. Rick Honeycutt 1-2, relieved and Reimer ripped a 2-2 pitch into the right Field seats for his first Home run of the year and just his second career Homer off a left hander. Barry Manuel 1-0 picked up the win for the rangers by pitching two witless innings in Relief of Jeff Robinson. Jeff Russell pitched the ninth for his third save. The rangers picked up Thier final run in the eighth when Jack Daugherty walked and scored on a double by Brian Downing. Robinson lasted 41/3 innings allowing four runs and six hits walk a sunday ing out two and striking out two. Darling scattered eight hits Over 6v6 innings walking one Batter and striking out four. In other late games sunday mariners 12, Brewers 9 Milwaukee Ken Griffey drove in a career High five runs and Seattle downed Milwaukee in a game in which both teams got 15 hits. Griffey had a two run double a two run single and an rib grounder in going 3 for 4 with two walks. Calvin Jones 1-0 was the Winner and Mike schooler got his third save. Bruce Ruffin 1-1 was the  postponed Kansas City to. A sundays game Between California and Kansas City was rained out. It was to be rescheduled at a later Date. Jays dump red sox on bad hop double by the associated press Boston a Roberto Alomar grounded a bad hop double off shortstop Tim Naehr Inge a Glove with two out in the 13th inning for the go ahead run and the Toronto Blue jays beat the Boston red sox 6-4 monday splitting a four game series. Alomar broke up the Marathon after a balk by Tom Bolton 0-11, the third Boston Pitcher permitted Alfredo Griffin to take second. Joe Carter who has hit in 13 straight games followed with a single off Peter Hoy scoring Alomar with an insurance run. Bob Mcdonald 1-0the third Toronto Pitcher shut out the red sox on one hit for four innings earning the Victory while extending his perfect Era to five appearances. Pat Borders led off the 13th with a single through the Middle but was forced at second on a sacrifice attempt by Griffin batting for Minnel Lee. Devon White struck out before Griffin advanced on the balk on a Pickoff attempt. Key allowed eight hits struck out two and did no to walk a Batter in 716 innings failing in a bid for his Hjorth major league Victory As a  monday in another Early game sunday indians 3, Yankees 1 new York a Scott Scudder and four relievers combined on a five hitter and Cleveland benefited from a controversial umpires Call in a three run first. Scudder 1-1 allowed Only three hits in 536 innings. One was Matt Nokes second Homer of the season a Solo shot in the fifth inning for the Yankees Only run. With one out and the bases loaded in the first Paul Sorrento grounded into what appeared to be an inning ending double play but Albert Belle was called Safe at second by Umpire Tim Tschida. Kenny Lofton scored from third and Carlos Baerga scored from second on the play while Belle went to third during the ensuing argument. Tschida ruled Yankee shortstop Randy Velarde missed the bag. Sorrento was retired easily at first. Sandy Alomar then singled of Nelido Perez 1-2scoring Belle but the indians had Only three hits the rest of the Way off Perez and reliever Rich Monteleone