National League Roundup : Carlton vs. Ryan Can Still Supply Fireworks

They total 78 years in age and 38 seasons in the majors, but it’s still a major event when Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan, the strikeout kings, match pitches.

Neither veteran was around at the finish of the Phillies’ 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros Friday night at Philadelphia, but they starred on the early show.

Ryan gave up a run and five hits in six innings, walked five and struck out 10. It was the 156th time that Ryan has struck out at least 10 batters in a game. Carlton went five innings before he developed a slight stiffness in his left shoulder, gave up two singles and did not strike out a batter.

In their battle to be the first to reach 4,000 strikeouts, Ryan has pulled 29 ahead with 3,912.

When Carlton left the game, he had a 1-0 lead. When Kent Tekulve, the Phillies’ new bullpen ace took over in the eighth, it was still 1-0. But Jose Cruz singled in the tying run, and Jerry Mumphrey doubled home the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Phillies’ Glenn Wilson hit a two-run home run, and Tekulve turned from goat to winner.

“I was just glad Ryan was gone when I came up,” Wilson said. “He’s murder. When he’s getting his fastball over, you’re lucky if you touch it.”

San Diego 6, Chicago 5--Steve Garvey has been a slow starter most of his career. He is off considerably faster this season.

The former Dodger first baseman tripled in two runs and scored the other in a three-run first inning at Chicago that started Rick Sutcliffe on his way to his third defeat.

Garry Templeton and Graig Nettles later hit home runs to build a 6-2 lead for Andy Hawkins (5-0). As it turned out, the home runs were needed.

Rich Gossage served up a three-run home run to Leon Durham in the eighth to cut the lead to a run. But the big right-hander staggered in with his seventh save.

Garvey is hitting .318 and has driven in 14 runs. After 21 games last season, he was hitting .203.

New York 9, Cincinnati 4--Len Dykstra, rookie center fielder from Garden Grove, may never forget his first major league hit. In this game at Cincinnati, his debut, he hit a two-run home run off Mario Soto, one of the best pitchers in the game.

Dykstra also had a single, and Danny Heep drove in five runs to put the Mets back into a tie for first place in the East with the Chicago Cubs.

“My goal tonight,” Dykstra said, “was just to get to first base so I could talk to Pete Rose. When I struck out the first time up, Keith Hernandez told me not to worry; I would get three more chances. I even got a single and the chance to talk to Rose. He’s been my idol.”

Player-Manager Rose of the Reds hit a run-scoring double in the third inning and now has 4,133 hits.

Montreal 9, Atlanta 2--Rookie left-hander Joe Hesketh knew he had good stuff when he warmed up before the game at Atlanta. He pitched a six-hitter, struck out nine and gave up only one earned run to improve his record to 3-1.

“I had good stuff,” Hesketh said. “In the bullpen, I was hitting my spots well and I carried it into the game.”

Mike Fitzgerald led a 13-hit Expo attack with a 3-for-3 night, scoring two runs and driving in two.

In the Braves’ previous game Wednesday, they had 25 hits and scored 17 runs.

St. Louis 8, San Francisco 1--Darrell Porter and Jack Clark each hit three-run home runs at St. Louis to make it easy for John Tudor to win his first game after three defeats.

Tudor came to the Cardinals from Pittsburgh in the George Hendrick trade. He had not been impressive in previous starts. But he held the Giants to five hits and had one streak in which he retired 15 consecutive batters.

Porter hit his smash off Mike Krukow, who had allowed only two earned runs in 34 innings but gave up five more in six innings.

Clark hit his fourth homer off Frank Williams in the seventh.