NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Padres Busted Again by Murphy’s Law, 7-2

Dale Murphy isn’t the player he was during his most-valuable-player days with the Atlanta Braves, but don’t tell it to the San Diego Padres.

Murphy drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly Monday night as the Philadelphia Phillies beat San Diego, 7-2, at Philadelphia for their third consecutive victory.

Murphy’s fly gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the first, and he broke a 1-1 tie with his homer in the third.

He has 59 homers against the Padres, the most he has against any team.

“I’ve played a lot of games in San Diego and, of course, also in Atlanta and they’re both good hitting parks,” Murphy said.

“I think that’s the reason. Also, in my first year up in September, I played some games in San Diego. In fact, I hit my first home run there.”

Murphy has a six-game hitting streak and has eight hits in his last 20 at-bats, a .400 average.

“I’ve been feeling a lot better lately,” Murphy said, “but I still have to keep working hard every day. It’s an at-bat to at-bat situation.”

Terry Mulholland (2-2) gave up six hits in eight innings, struck out three and walked one. Mitch Williams pitched a perfect ninth.

Ed Whitson (1-3) lost his third consecutive start, giving up 11 hits and five runs in six innings.

St. Louis 4, Atlanta 3--Ozzie Smith got the Cardinals even with the Braves on an infield hit in the seventh inning and won it with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 11th at St. Louis.

St. Louis has won four games in its final at-bat and has rallied to win in half its 12 victories. The Cardinals trailed, 3-0, before tying the score in the seventh on Smith’s two-run infield single.

Lee Smith (2-0), the fourth St. Louis pitcher, pitched two perfect innings. Smith has two victories and seven saves in nine appearances for the Cardinals, who are 8-3 during a 13-game home stand.

Felix Jose doubled to start the St. Louis seventh, Todd Zeile hit a run-scoring single and Jose Oquendo singled with one out to chase starter John Smoltz.

Mike Stanton walked pinch-hitter Gerald Perry, loading the bases. Smith hit a grounder that first baseman Sid Bream knocked down and threw to Stanton too late to get Smith as both runners scored.

Rafael Belliard hit a run-scoring single and Jeff Treadway hit a two-run single as the Braves scored three times in the fifth.