National League Roundup : Cubs Catch Gooden on Off Day--but Lose, 8-3

The Chicago Cubs caught Dwight Gooden on an off day Saturday at New York, and the Met right-hander beat them, 8-3, for his 12th consecutive victory.

In improving his record to 18-3, Gooden gave up as many as three runs for only the third time in his last 15 starts. He has not yielded more than that number since the opening game of the season.

The implication: That’s about as bad as the 20-year-old star gets.

Gooden also gave up nine hits for the third time this season. However, he didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine.

“I guess I was a little shocked,” Met Manager Dave Johnson told the Associated Press. “I’ve just been spoiled and not used to seeing him give up two runs in a whole game, and he does it in the first inning.”

After the two runs, Gooden retired 12 Cubs in a row. He gave up a final run in the eighth. By that time, he had an 8-3 lead. George Foster hit a two-run homer in the second to get the offense untracked.

“Once they got the two runs, I said, ‘OK, stop them here,’ “Gooden said. “I just bore down a little harder.

“This streak has built up my confidence. When I’ve got the ball in my hand, I’m in charge. I can’t be beat. That’s the way a pitcher has got to look at it.”

Largely because of Gooden, the Mets are hot. They have won six in a row and are 23 games above .500 for the first time since 1969, when they were world champions.

The crippled Cubs have won only 3 of 13 games against the Mets and are 0-4 against Gooden. He has gone the distance all four times, yielding only six runs.

“Gooden’s ball moves more than other people’s,” Cub Manager Jim Frey said. “He is consistently at 94 m.p.h with high fastballs that batters tick or foul off. He gets a lot of strikes at the top of the strike zone. Also, when you’re all set up and geared up for the fastball, he throws that dynamite curve.”

Ray Fontenot started for the Cubs, who are without their four front-line starters because of injuries. He left after six innings, trailing, 3-2. The Mets jumped on George Frazier for five runs in the seventh.

St. Louis 5-13, Philadelphia 4-4--The Cardinals served notice that the race in the East is not over. With Willie McGee, the league’s leading hitter, getting seven hits, the Cardinals swept a doubleheader at Philadelphia to pull into a tie with the Mets for first place.

In the opener, McGee had three hits, scored two runs and drove in another to help Danny Cox improve his record to 13-7. Jeff Lahti got the final four outs to save the win.

The Cardinals, with McGee getting four hits, including a three-run home run, jumped all over the Phillies’ ace, Kevin Gross (11-9), to win the nightcap.

The 7-for-10 performance boosted McGee’s average to .351.

Ricky Horton, who took over for Kurt Kepshire with nobody out in the second inning, held the Phillies to five hits in eight innings to gain his first victory of the season in the second game.

The Cardinals, who had only 6 hits in the opener, pounded out 19 hits in the second game. Mike Jorgensen, playing first base to give Jack Clark a rest, was 3 for 3, including two doubles.

The Phillies had to move Mike Schmidt back to third base, temporarily, because Rick Schu was struck in the eye during batting practice.

Montreal 7, Pittsburgh 5--Andre Dawson hit home runs in successive innings at Montreal as the Expos came from behind to beat the hapless Pirates again.

The Pirates, behind Rick Rhoden, led, 4-2, going into the fifth. Dawson opened with his 12th homer, and the Expos scored two more runs to take the lead. In the sixth, with one on, Dawson hit another home run to make the victory certain.

Randy St. Claire held the Pirates to one hit in four innings of relief to improve his record to 4-2.

San Francisco 6, Atlanta 5--Dale Murphy hit two home runs and drove in four runs at San Francisco, but all they did was give him the league leadership in home runs (29) and RBIs (82).

The Giants, who knocked out Len Barker in a five-run first inning, won the game in the ninth on Brad Wellman’s run-scoring single with one out. Wellman lined his single after a walk to Bob Brenly and a sacrifice.

Murphy hit a solo home run in the first and a three-run smash in the seventh.

Scott Garrelts (6-3) earned the win in relief after working out of a jam in the top of the ninth. Vida Blue couldn’t hold a 5-1 lead and departed after Murphy’s second home run tied the game.