3 Random NL Observations from 5/1

That a 5-0 lead is very safe. It can be, but somebody tell the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cards that. The Braves took a 1-0 lead with a run in the 2nd, then added 4 more thanks to Darrell Evans and three of his teammates in the 3rd. Even with the GS, Le Expos rallied to score 3 in the 5th and one in the 7th. Henry Aaron's 680th in the bottom of the 7th built the lead back to 6-4, then late-inning disaster as Hal Breeden's PH 2-run triple tied it in the 9th and Mike Jorgensen's 2-run bomb in the 10th completed the comeback. As for the Cards, they got 3 in the 1st and 2 in the 3rd for their own 5-0 lead, only to have the pesky Padres rally back for 4 in the 4th and 1 in the 6th to tie things up. After a Cards run in the 7th and a Pads run in the 9th, the Cards regained the lead in the top of the 11th, only to sit back and watch Cito Gaston's 3-run homer in the bottom of the 11th soar over the fence giving the Pads their own comeback win. 

The Pirates have killer long relief. Bob Moose had an 8-2 lead entering the bottom of the 3rd, but when San Fran's Giant bats make lead-off man Bobby Bonds make 3 appearances in as many innings, maybe the Moose needs to hibernate a little early. Enter LH Luke Walker, who managed to silence those Giants bats for 6 innings, keeping the Giants hitless from the 3rd to the 8th. In an earlier game, RH Bob Johnson managed to tame Dodgers bate after Steve Blass was blasted for 7 first-inning runs, holding them hitless until the 9th. So yeah, Pirate long relievers manage to make things a bit more respectable.

Nobody pitches their shorts off like Jim... Oops, wrong underwear spokesman Well, we just know him as a namesake arm surgery not as a brand of leisurewear, but Tommy John was a pretty fair pitcher just like that Jockey guy. John pitched a CG 7-hitter to shut down the Cubbies at the Ravine.

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