National League Roundup : Carter Turns Bad Day Into Smashing Debut With a Homer in 10th

In his first game as a New York Met Tuesday, catcher Gary Carter was hit by pitches twice and once by a foul tip. His passed ball gave St. Louis a run, he allowed opposing pitcher Joaquin Andujar to steal a base against him, and he took a called third strike.

It was not a very auspicious start--that is, until the 10th inning, when his one-out solo home run gave the Mets a season-opening 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium.

“What a way to start,” said Carter, who was traded from Montreal last December. “Hit by a pitch, strike out looking, a stolen base, a passed ball and then the home run. . . . The feeling is hard to describe.”

After the homer, a line shot on an 0-1 pitch from Cardinal reliever Neil Allen, what was left of the capacity crowd of 46,781 on a cold, windy day chanted, “Gary, Gary, Gary,” and gave Carter a standing ovation.

The victory went to left-handed reliever Tom Gorman, who worked a scoreless 10th inning for the Mets.

The Cardinals had tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the ninth when Willie McGee singled, Lonnie Smith was hit by a pitch and Tommy Herr singled to load the bases. Jack Clark, who hit a solo homer in the second, then walked on a 3-1 pitch to force in the tying run.

The Mets, with right-handed ace Dwight Gooden on the mound, took a 3-2 lead against Andujar on a third-inning homer by George Foster, then made it 4-2 on the second run-scoring single of the day by Keith Hernandez in the fourth. Rafael Santana’s double in the fifth made it 5-2.

Gooden, at 20 the youngest Opening-Day pitcher in modern baseball history, left in the seventh after yielding six hits, walking two and striking out six.

San Francisco 4, San Diego 3--Rookie Chris Brown singled to left field with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Giants and pitcher Vida Blue a season-opening victory over the Padres in front of a sellout crowd of 52,714 at Candlestick Park.

Blue, who was out of baseball last season because of a drug conviction, won his first major league game since 1982. He did it by coming out of the bullpen and retiring the final batter in the top of the ninth after San Diego tied the score with a run off reliever Mark Davis.

“They won’t all be that easy,” Blue said. “I’m just glad I was able to come out of the bullpen, get that last out and keep us in the ballgame. That’s what relief pitching is all about.”

It was the Giants’ first Opening-Day victory since 1979, when Blue beat the Cincinnati Reds. Blue was traded to Kansas City in 1982.

“I loved it, hearing that ‘Blue, Blue, Blue’ cheer again,” said the 35-year-old left-hander. “It was a very good feeling just to be out there, and it’s great to have the fans pulling for me.”

Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1--Rick Sutcliffe allowed six hits over 7 innings to record his 15th consecutive regular-season victory as the Cubs defeated the Pirates in front of a sellout crowd of 34,551 at Wrigley Field.

Sutcliffe’s 15th straight win broke the Cubs’ record of 14 set by Ed Reublach in 1909.

Keith Moreland drove in two runs with an RBI single in the first and a solo home run in the fourth off loser Rick Rhoden to provide the offensive punch for Chicago.

Atlanta 6, Philadelphia 0--The Braves took advantage of six Phillie errors to hand Steve Carlton his eighth loss in 10 Opening-Day assignments as a crowd of 35,361 watched in 37-degree weather at Philadelphia .

Dale Murphy drove in two runs off Carlton, who gave up four hits, struck out three and walked six in six innings.

Atlanta starter Rick Mahler allowed only three hits over seven innings, and reliever Bruce Sutter retired the final six Philadelphia batters.

The defeat, the first under new Manager John Felske, was the 10th consecutive loss for the Phillies in regular-season games.