The Montreal Expos are going to wind up only a heartbeat behind the National League East champion St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs will wind up many heartaches away . . . in last place. That much was assured Friday night, when the Cubs lost 7-1 to Montreal at Olympic Stadium and the fifth-place Pirates beat the Phillies 6-4. The Cubs trail the Pirates by 2 1/2 games but have only two games left to play.
One can only guess what the Expos might have done if free agent Andre Dawson had remained in Montreal instead of joining the Cubs, where he has contributed 48 home runs and 134 RBIs.
”I`m not even giving that any thought at all,” Dawson said. ”They had a good year. I think their organization and their fans should be proud of that. If I had been here, I only know I could have helped. That`s the only thing that stands out in my mind. I did something I firmly felt I had to do to prolong my career.”
Dawson credits Expos manager Buck Rodgers for getting the most out of an underdog team that was also without All-Star left-fielder Tim Raines for the first month of the season because of a contract hassle.
”I think that Buck Rodgers, when he ran into these problems, he huddled with these guys and made believers out of them,” Dawson said. ”He got the best out of their ability. He didn`t have the best team in the Eastern Division. He didn`t have one of the best teams in the National League. He had guys who went out and played hard and when called upon went out and got the job done.”
Neal Heaton (13-10) was credited with Friday night`s victory, his first win since July 30. He went six innings and allowed one unearned run on three hits. Andy McGaffigan earned his 12th save with three scoreless innings of relief.
Rookie Greg Maddux (6-14), who has gone nine appearances and seven starts without a win, suffered the loss. He gave up seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits. He walked four and struck out two. Maddux hasn`t won since July 24.
The Expos took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Jeff Reed`s RBI single. The Cubs tied it in the fourth with an unearned run.
Ryne Sandberg`s routine liner was dropped by right-fielder Mitch Webster for an error. Sandberg moved to third following Dawson`s fly to center. Brian Dayett delivered a sacrifice fly to left to score Sandberg.
The Expos countered with three unearned runs in the fourth. Wallace Johnson, a Gary Roosevelt graduate, opened the inning with his second straight walk. He stole second before Herm Winningham also walked.
Tom Foley hit a potential double-play grounder back to the mound. Maddux whirled and threw wide to Shawon Dunston covering at second. The ball rolled into center as Johnson scored. Reed followed by hitting into a double play, allowing Winningham to score.
Heaton delivered the crowning blow with an opposite-field double into the left-field corner. He scored on a single by Raines to give Montreal a 4-1 advantage.
Reed knocked in his second run of the evening in the Expos` three-run sixth. Pinch-hitter Jack Daugherty doubled-his first major-league hit-to put runners on second and third before Raines was walked intentionally to load the bases. Hubie Brooks foiled the strategy with a two-run single to right that gave Montreal a 7-1 lead.
