clarinews@clarinet.com (09/22/89)
CHICAGO (UPI) -- Greg Maddux fired a six-hitter Thursday to equal his career-high 18th victory and Andre Dawson contributed a single and three-run home run to Chicago's 17-hit attack in a 9-1 rout of the Philadephia Phillies that cut the Cubs' magic number for clinching the National League East to seven. Any combination of Chicago victories and St. Louis losses totalling seven will give the Cubs their first NL East title since 1984. Maddux, 18-12, walked two and struck out six en route to his seventh complete game in 34 starts. After Dickie Thon singled with no outs in the second inning, Maddux didn't allow a hit until Thon's lead-off double in the seventh. Every Chicago starter except Luis Salazar had two hits against starter Terry Mulholland, 4-7, and two relievers. Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Rick Wrona's broken-bat, RBI single, then broke the game open in the fourth and fifth innings. Wrona singled with one out in the fourth inning and, one out later, moved to second base when third baseman Charlie Hayes threw late on Doug Dascenzo's routine grounder, which was ruled an infield hit. Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace followed with run-scoring singles off Mulholland before Dawson capped the five-run inning with his 19th homer of the season. Chicago increased its lead to 9-0 with three runs in the fifth inning against Randy O'Neal on consecutive two-out, RBI singles by Dascenzo, Sandberg and Grace. Philadelphia ruined Maddux's bid for his sixth major-league shutout in the eighth inning. Curt Ford opened with a single, advanced to second on Tommy Barrett's infield single, moved to third on John Kruk's flyout and scored on Ricky Jordan's sacrifice fly.