Sutcliffe pitching to stay // Bielecki, Hall stand out despite shutout by Braves

Rick Sutcliffe may be making one of his last starts as a Cubtonight when the Astros come in for three games.

But the Cubs say a contending team will have to tie a ribbon'round a pretty package to get the man who won the 1984 Cy YoungAward and was runner-up last year.

General manager Jim Frey has assured Sutcliffe the club is nottrying to trade him.

"But baseball is business," Frey told Sutcliffe. "Contendingteams are asking about you and we have to listen if we feel we canhelp the club in two or three places."

Sutcliffe said he appreciated Frey's stance and honesty.

"He still couldn't tell me what I wanted to hear, but yes, itwas nice of him," Sutcliffe said. "I don't want to go, but Icertainly don't want to stay where I'm not wanted. I hope it doesn'tcome to that."

It came to no runs and only five hits for the Cubs Sunday off22-year-old Pete Smith of the Braves.

The only run in the 1-0 defeat of Mike Bielecki was manufacturedby the game's first three hitters.

Terry Blocker drew a walk, hurried to third on Ken Oberkfell'shit-and-run single through a hole created by shortstop ShawonDunston's having to cover second, then scored on Gerald Perry'ssacrifice fly.

That was it for both sides.

Smith (6-12), drafted No. 1 by the Phillies in 1983 but tradedin 1985 with Ozzie Virgil for Steve Bedrosian and Milt Thompson,allowed only one Cub to reach third base and retired the last nine.

Bielecki (2-1) pitched seven innings of five-hit ball followedby two no-hit innings from Drew Hall.

"I told (pitching coach) Bruce Dal Canton I had a slider acouple of weeks ago and he said, `Well, go ahead and use it,' " saidSmith, who also shut down the Cubs for seven innings late in May.

"I mixed 'em up pretty well today. Everything was working nice.I made the pitches when I really needed them."

Bielecki had equal success, but only after the first inning.

He has a 2.49 ERA since being recalled from Class AAA Iowa July24, including 2.84 in three starts.

"He's throwing a lot better now," manager Don Zimmer said. "He'sthrowing strikes and keeping it down, and he's gaining confidence."

The Cubs were hitting .301 in their last 11 games at WrigleyField before Smith cut them off.

Bielecki's failure to sacrifice Dunston to third base in the fifth cost the Cubs their best chance.

Dunston led off with a single and stole second, but Bieleckiwent out by fouling off the third strike, and Mitch Webster and Ryne Sandberg flied out.

"Mitch's was deep enough to score Shawon," said Bielecki, upsetat himself. Dunston led off with an infield single in theseventh, too.

This time, the Cubs did gain a sacrifice - from pinch hitterManny Trillo. But again Webster and Sandberg failed as the crowd of33,097 sat in silence.

A wind blowing in from the north at 17 m.p.h. did not help.Webster, Andre Dawson and Damon Berryhill each appeared to lose homeruns.

The Cubs continue to make fine defensive plays. Third basemanVance Law started a double play off a sharp, bad-hop grounder by DaleMurphy in the sixth inning and Dawson made a running, reaching catchon Blocker in the seventh.

The loss prevented the Cubs from going over the .500 mark forthe first time since July 18.

But the victory did not help the Braves escape the infamousdistinction of being tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the worstrecord in baseball at 42-81.

"I don't worry about the Orioles any more than they worry aboutus," manager Russ Nixon said. "What I worry about is us, but a gamelike Smith pitched today makes it all tolerable."