National League Roundup : Gooden Out 15 Days After Being Chased by Reds in Third, 6-2

The New York Mets’ Dwight Gooden gave up solo home runs to Barry Larkin and Kal Daniels before leaving the game in the third inning because of a sore right arm, and the Cincinnati Reds won, 6-2, Saturday at Cincinnati.

Gooden (9-4) will be placed on the 15-day disabled list today. He pitched two-plus innings, the shortest outing of his career, before leaving with what was diagnosed as sore muscles in his right armpit. He has complained of stiffness in that area on several occasions in the past month.

“I hate to do it,” Manager Davey Johnson said of putting Gooden on the disabled list. “It’s like cutting off your right arm, but it’s the most prudent thing to do.”

Kevin Tapani will be recalled from triple-A Tidewater of the International League. Tapani was 7-3 with a 3.16 earned-run average at Tidewater.

“It’s real tough to describe,” Gooden said. “You don’t feel a sharp pain from throwing the ball. It’s as if someone hit you with a stick or a hammer, more of that type of pain.”

Gooden left the game after giving up a home run to Daniels leading off the third inning. It was Daniels’ second homer and his first since April 28. Larkin hit his homer off Gooden in the first inning.

“You could tell he wasn’t 100%,” Red outfielder Eric Davis said of Gooden.

The Reds’ Jack Armstrong (1-1) gave up two runs and eight hits in six-plus innings after being added to the roster from triple-A Nashville before the game. Rob Dibble pitched two innings, and John Franco finished for his 21st save in 23 opportunities. Franco has been in 28 games this season and has finished 25 of them.

It was the Mets’ fourth loss in their last five games.

Chicago 3, San Francisco 2--Greg Maddux gave up two runs in 7 2/3 innings and added a game-winning run batted in to lead the Cubs past Rick Reuschel and the Giants at San Francisco.

Maddux (7-7) won for the sixth time in his last eight starts and helped end Reuschel’s career-high nine-game winning streak. Reuschel (12-3) hadn’t lost since April 28.

Maddux, who had given up two runs in his previous 24 innings, yielded seven hits, and Mitch Williams pitched 1 1/3 innings for his 20th save.

With the score 2-2, Vance Law led off the fourth with a double and scored one out later when Maddux singled to center. Maddux is 12 for 38 (.316) with four RBIs this season.

The Giants announced that outfielder Kevin Mitchell, who leads the major leagues with 25 home runs, has an inflamed left knee. The club said that Mitchell will take medication.

Mitchell is hitting .290 with a major leagues-leading 72 RBIs.

Houston 4, Montreal 1--Alex Trevino drove in all four runs with two doubles as the Astros beat the Expos at Montreal.

Larry Andersen (2-1), who gave up two hits in three innings, earned the victory. Dave Smith got the last three outs for his 16th save.

With no score and one out in the fifth, Craig Reynolds singled against Pascual Perez (4-9) and scored when Trevino grounded a 3-and-2 pitch down the left-field line.

Montreal tied it against Bob Forsch in the bottom of the inning. Tim Wallach, Tom Foley and Nelson Santovenia singled to load the bases, and Spike Owen drove in Wallach with a fielder’s-choice grounder.

Houston had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh when Montreal intentionally walked Ken Caminiti to get to Trevino, the No. 8 hitter. Trevino lined a double into the left-field corner to score all three runners.

St. Louis 9, San Diego 3--Jose Oquendo had four hits in a game for the first time in his career, including a two-run triple in a five-run second inning, to lead the Cardinals past the Padres at St. Louis.

San Diego’s Bip Roberts reached base in his first three at-bats, stretching his streak of consecutive times reaching base to nine, tying a club record. Roberts had six hits and three walks before grounding out to third base in the sixth.

Ted Power (1-2) pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief after relieving Frank DiPino in the fourth inning. Pat Clements (1-1), a last-minute substitute for Eric Show, was the loser. Show has a back injury.

The Cardinals scored five runs in the second after two were out. With the bases loaded, rookie pitcher Ken Hill singled to right field to score one run. Vince Coleman followed with a two-run single, and Oquendo hit a two-run triple.

St. Louis made it 8-3 in the fifth, helped by two fielding errors by third baseman Tim Flannery, which allowed three runs to score.

The Cardinals got their final run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Ozzie Smith.

Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 2--Bruce Ruffin won his first game in almost a year as the Phillies beat the Braves at Philadelphia.

Ruffin (1-3) gave up one run and six hits in five innings, winning for the first time since July 16, 1988. Roger McDowell pitched three innings for his ninth save.

The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Pete Smith (2-9). Tom Herr singled with one out, went to third on Von Hayes’ single and scored on a balk. Hayes stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ricky Jordan.

Philadelphia scored two more runs in the sixth inning when Geronimo Berroa booted Charlie Hayes’ single in right field.

Atlanta’s Jeff Blauser hit a solo home run in the fifth, his fourth homer of the season, and Dale Murphy added a run-scoring single in the seventh.