Games of Wednesday, June 18

                             W      L        Pct.     GB

Houston               34     20       .630     ---
New York            31     24       .563     3.5
Atlanta                 27     23       .540     5
Montreal              26     26       .500     7
Chicago               25     29       .463     9
St. Louis              25     30       .455     9.5
Pittsburgh            23     29       .442   10
Philadelphia         19     29       .396   12

Thursday's games
Houston (Roberts) at Montreal (McAnally)
Chicago (Pappas) at Philadelphia (Lonborg)
New York (Koosman) at Atlanta (Gentry) 

Montreal 5, Houston 0: Mike Torrez and Mike Marshall combined for a six-hit shutout. The Expos hit three doubles in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead on Don Wilson, and Mike Jorgensen hit a two-run homer in the eighth. Ken Singleton doubled, singled, walked, scored two runs and drove in two.  Marshall relieved Torrez with the tying run up in the eighth and immediately got a double play to end the threat, then worked a hitless ninth for the save.

New York 1, St. Louis 0: It was a pitching duel worthy of the greats involved. Tom Seaver went the distance, shutting out the Cardinals on five hits. He walked four and stuck ut five. Bob Gibson gave up a run in the first inning for the loss. He went six innings before departing for a pinch hitter, allowing six hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Wayne Garrett led off the first with a single, went to second on Felix Millan's grounder and scored on Cleon Jones' two-out double.

Philadelphia 8, Chicago 7: The Phillies overcame a 7-0 deficit with a pair of four-run innings in the sixth and seventh. Billy William gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead three batters into the game with a three-run homer off Steve Carlton. Ken Rudolph also homered and added an RBI triple in the top of the sixth. But the Phillies got four runs off Rick Rueschel in the bottom of the inning and drove from from the mound with a pair of hit to open the seventh. Dave LaRoche retired just one of the three men he faced, and Jack Aker allowed his inherited runners to score. Bucky Brandon, Barry Lersch and Mac Scarce each worked a scoreless inning, with Brandon getting the win and Scarce the save. LaRoche was tagged with the loss.

Atlanta 14, Pittsburgh 11: Three-run homers abounded. Dusty Baker hit one in the first inning and Frank Tepedino one in the seventh for the Braves. The visiting Pirates got one from Gene Alley in the fourth and one from Willie Stargell in the ninth. It was Stargell's second homer of the game.  Ron Schueler allowed just one earned run through seven innings but surrendered three homers in the eighth and ninth as the Braves tried to avoid going to their depleted bullpen. Tepedino had five RBIs for Atlanta and Dave Johnson scored four times.