Schourek Pitches Reds Out of Slump

SAN FRANCISCO — Pete Schourek pitched seven strong innings and Terry Pendleton broke a tie with a two-run single as the Cincinnati Reds stopped a four-game slide by defeating the Giants, 6-2, on Friday night at San Francisco.

Schourek (2-2) struck out eight and walked one, fanning Barry Bonds to start the second inning for his 500th career strikeout. He gave up two runs and three hits, including a seventh-inning homer by Bonds, who had struck out in five consecutive at-bats.

Eddie Taubensee hit his team-leading fourth homer in the second and the Giants pulled into a tie on Dante Powell’s first major-league homer in the third.

Cincinnati broke open the game against Osvaldo Fernandez (3-2) with a four-run sixth, helped by Glenallen Hill’s drop of Taubensee’s fly ball to right for a two-base error.

Barry Larkin singled to start the inning. Hill misjudged Taubensee’s wind-driven fly to right and the ball bounced off the heel of his glove as he tried to run under it. Hal Morris walked and Pendleton lined a single to center to the Reds on top, 3-1.

Willie Green’s run-scoring double chased Fernandez, and Deion Sanders, booed heavily in his first baseball appearance since finishing the 1995 season with the Giants, added a run-scoring single.

Lenny Harris hit his first homer of the season off Joe Roa to lead off the ninth inning to make it 6-2. The Reds have hit 32 homers in their last 15 games at San Francisco.

Schourek was the second Red pitcher this season to reach 500 career strikeouts. Dave Burba recorded his 500th April 18 at Pittsburgh.

The Reds, who converted 36 of 42 steal attempts heading into the game, saw three runners caught at second while trying to steal.

Catcher Rick Wilkins threw out Harris in the first inning, Morris in the second and Sanders in the eighth.

The Reds have won only two of their last 11 games.