European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 the stars and stripes sports tuesday july 26, 1994all three no races warming up. By the associated press All at once the National league races arc getting interesting a. A a. This week Darryl Strawberry faces his former team tire los Angeles dodgers at candlestick Park. The Atlanta braves will be trying to catch the visiting mom Treal expos the Cincinnati reds will be trying to hold off Houston at Home. All three series were to Start monday night All with first place at stake. A a in a looking Forward to the series after this Long Road trip and to no More concerned that its the dodgers than if it were any other team a Strawberry said. A a it a important to be playing a team in first place since we re not sure if we re going to get a full season  a a a a a a a san Francisco improved to 12-2 with Strawberry by defeating the new York mets 8-6 sunday. The giants closed to within Ali games of no West leading los Angeles which lost its fifth in a Row 7-4 in Montreal. The expos meanwhile won their sixth straight game and have surged iv2 games ahead of Atlanta in the no East. The braves beat St. Louis 8-5. Cincinnati a lend Over Houston in the no Central is Down to one Gam. The reds lost to Chicago 3-0 and the astros routed Pittsburgh 13-1. The races have taken on extra urgency because no one knows How much longer the season will last. There a a Chance that the players Union this week will set a walkout Date which could come in a few  8, mets 6 Bobby Bonds was the Star at Shea stadium on his 30th birthday. He drove in three tuns including a two out two rim single in the eighth inning that rallied the giants to a 7-6 Lead. Rich Mont Deone 3-2 was the Winner and Rod Beck got his 23rd  7, dodgers 4 Rookie Rondell White drove in seven runs and Montreal completed a three game Home sweep. White went 4-for-5, with a three run Homer a two run double and a pair of rib singles. Kirk Rueter 6-2 got plenty of support in winning his third straight Start. Eric Karros and Mitch Webster hit consecutive Home runs and Pinch hitter Chris Gwynn later connected for los Angeles. Kevin Gross 7-7 was the  it braves 8, cardinals 5 Charlie of Brien and Jose. Oliva hit three run homers to Lead Atlanta to Victory at St. Louis. Tom Glavine 12-8 won for the fourth time in his last five starts despite allowing 12 hits in 716 innings. Astros 13, pirates 1 Jeff Bagwell hit two homers and drove in five runs and Craig Biggio had a grand slam As Houston romped at Home. Winner Darryl Kyle. 7-5 pitched eight Strong innings. \ Bagwell leads the majors with 98 Rols. He has 32 Home runs with 20 of them at the Astrodome breaking the single season record of 18 set by Lee May in 1974,cubs 3,reds 0 Jim Bullinger pitching in place of ailing Steve Traci Sci shut out Cincinnati for eight innings at Fri Glov Field Bullinger 5-2 gave up five hits in his seventh Start of the season. Trachsel was sidelined by a Blister. Randy Myers pitched the ninth for his 20th  6, Rockies 4 Gary Sheffield was 5-for-5 with a two run Homer in the ninth inning that lifted visiting Florida Over Colorado. Sheffield had the first five hit game of his career and tied the team record set by Chuck Carr last season Robb Nen 4-4 escaped a Jam in the eighth and struck out the Side in the  5, padres 3 Danny Jackson 13-4 stopped san Diego for seven innings at Philadelphia. Jackson gave up two runs and five hits striking out seven and walking none. But he hit Craig Shipley in the leg with a pitch in the first inning and later admitted he was angry that Shipley tried to steal a base in the ninth inning saturday night with the padres ahead 7-1. Plate Umpire Brian Gorman warned Jackson and the Phillies after Shipley was hit. Shipley calmly went to first base while Philadelphia Bench coach John Vuko Vich was ejected for arguing. Brewers second baseman Jody Reed dives to Snag grounder by twins Matt Walbeck in second inning sunday at Milwaukee. Yank win Caps West Conquest by the associated press an amazing unprecedented trip out Wes has widened the Gap Between the new York Yankees and the rest of the last. A a a Quot a a new York completed its most successful West coast Road trip in club history sunday when Don Mattingly hit a three run Pinch hit Homer in the ninth inning giving the Yankees a 6-4 Victory Over the California Angels. When new York embarked on its West coast swung on july 14, the Yankees led Baltimore by one half game. They now Lead the orioles by 5 a games following a hard to believe 10-1 Road trip. A this is what makes it All worthwhile Quot said Jim Abbott 8-7who pitched eight innings and figured to be the loser before Mattingly a Homer. Mattingly who collected his 2,000th career hit on saturday made no. 2,001 special also. He was making his first Pinch hitting appearance this season and had six previous Pinch hits in his career but never a Home run. Mark Langston held the Yankees to six hits in eight innings. With one out in the ninth Mike Stanley singled off Langston who walked Jim Leyritz and was replaced by Joe Grahe 2-5. A g Rubens wild pitch moved up Stanley and Pinch runner Luis Polonia. Mattingly lined a 2-2 fastball into the right Field seats for his sixth Homer. Said Grahe a it was a fastball no it was a  in other games sunday athletics 7, orioles 6 at Oakland Rickey Henderson scored in Mark Eichhorn a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth As the a a rallied from six runs Down. Baltimore led 6-0 after six innings before the a s began their comeback on Mark Mcgwire a two run Homer in the seventh Oakland tied it in the eighth on a three run Homer by Scott Ocmond who replaced Terry Steinbach when he was ejected for arguing. Dennis Eckersley 4-4 escaped a bases loaded Jam in the ninth for the  sox 4, indians 2 at Cleveland Julio Franco homered and drove in three runs and Alex Fernandez cooled off the indians As Chicago won the final meeting this season Between the Al Central leaders. The White sox and indians split the four game series allowing first place Chicago to remain two games ahead. Fernandez 10-7 gave up six hits in eight innings quieting a Cleveland team that had scored 25 runs Over the previous three games. Roberto Hernandez got two outs in the ninth for his 12th  jays 4, rangers 2 Toronto won its eighth straight despite getting just four hits to Complete a four game sweep. Brad Cornett 1-2 got his first major league. Win for the defending world series champions now 7-0 at Home since the All Star break. Danny Cox pitched the ninth for his third save. Paul Monitor hit his 14th Homer and fourth in four games to put Toronto ahead 4-2 in the eighth. Red sox 8. Mariners 2 at Boston Mike Greenwell went 4-for-5 with  and John Valentin drove in three runs to Lead the red sox. Boston and Seattle split the four game series which was moved to Boston because of falling ceiling tiles in the King dome. The red sox collected 16 hits to Back Roger Clemens 95 twins to Brewers 6 at Milwaukee Kirby Puckett a two run Homer highlighted Minnesota s five run seventh inning rally. Puckett drove in four runs and Kent Hrbek hit a three run Homer for the twins. Jose Valentin hit a three run Homer and Turner Ward had a Solo shot for Milwaukee. Carl Willis 2-4 picked up the win in Relief. Cal Eldred 9-10 was tagged for eight runs in 6 a  6, tigers 4 Jose Dejesus pitched five innings to gain his first major league Victory in nearly three years. Dejesus called up from triple a Omaha on july 16, won for the first time since aug. 31,1991, when he pitched Philadelphia to a 10-4 Victory Over Atlanta. Bob Hamelin homered for the  to win diehard 500 by Mike Harris Talladega Ala. A Jimmy Spencer outraged and  teammate Bill Elliott to win the diehard 500 sunday at Talladega super Speedway. Spencer with Elliott close behind rocketed past Ernie Irvan into the Lead with 19 laps remaining in the 188-Lap race then kept the accelerator on the floor to the end As Elliott wingless since november of 1992, tried everything in his Power to get around the other Junior Johnson Ford. It Wasny to enough though As Spencer known As a emr. Excitement from his Days As a Lascar modified Champion came up with his second Winston cup Victory. He added the Talladega race to his Victory earlier this month at Daytona in the same thunderbird. This one appeared easier than Daytona where he beat Irvan by less than a half car length after a Side by Side last Lap. Quot in be got me one Heck of a race car Quot Spencer said a awesome  j it the last five laps Elliott tried to go outside Spencer then inside his teammate he even tried to feint to one Side and dive to the other but nothing worked Elliott who finished .025-seconds a about two car lengths a behind said "1 did no to know what else to do. He had a faster car that Sall there is to  Irvan finished third holding off a determined late charge by Ken Schrader who barely beat Sterling Marlon for fourth. Defending race Champion Dale Earnhardt Talladega a winning St career Driver with seven Winston cup triumphs led five times for 41 laps but went out with a Burnt Piston after 80 laps and wound up 34th. Combined with Irvane a third place finish Earnhardt a bad Day Cost him the series Point Lead. Irvan went into the race trailing the six time Winston cup Champion by 93 Points and came away with a 16-Point Lead after 18 of 31 races. Rusty Wallace who came into the race third in the season standings had another bad Day at Talladega where he never has finished better than sixth and has failed to finish More often than not. Wallace burned a Piston and wound up last in the 42-car Field going out after just eight laps and falling past Mark Martin to fourth in the season standings. A Spencer averaged 163.173 Mph