National League Roundup : Fernandez Impresses; Strawberry Hurts Hand

Sid Fernandez, who could hardly get anyone out in spring training and earned a trip back to the minors, made a triumphant return to the New York Mets Saturday.

A few hours after being restored to the roster, Fernandez held the slumping Philadelphia Phillies to one hit in six innings at Shea Stadium in New York as he pitched the Mets to a 4-0 victory.

All was not good news for the Mets, however. Outfielder Darryl Strawberry tore ligaments in his right hand diving for a fly ball in the third inning and may need surgery.

Fernandez, a burly left-hander, gave up a lead-off single to Von Hayes in the fourth inning, walked six and struck out nine before giving way to rookie Roger McDowell. McDowell struck out four in three hitless innings to make it three straight shutouts for the Mets.

Once a prize prospect in the Dodger organization, Fernandez pitched well after being brought up from Tidewater in midseason last year. The Mets, perhaps ignorant of what happened to Fernando Valenzuela when he slimmed down, ordered the 240-pound Fernandez to lose weight.

He reported to camp a loser of 20 pounds. He also lost his fastball. He was 0-4 with an 8.38 earned-run average in exhibition games, and back he went to Tidewater. In five starts at Tidewater, he was 4-1 with an ERA of 2.04. More important, he regained his fastball.

The Mets brought him up in the middle of the week, watched him throw on the sidelines and were so impressed they sent a .375 hitter (Len Dykstra) back to the minors to make room for him.

“I did not waste my time at Tidewater,” Fernandez said. “The schedule is light in April, and I would not have had that much work with the Mets. Today, my fastball was good and I felt I was in command.”

In December 1983, after he posted a 13-4 record at San Antonio in the Texas League, led the league in strikeouts with 204 in 153 innings and led in ERA at 2.82, the Dodgers traded Fernandez, then 21, to the Mets. The Dodgers obtained relief pitcher Carlos Diaz and infielder Bob Bailor in exchange.

If the Mets have a problem in their drive to win the East, it is a shortage of starting pitchers. Off his first start of this season, Fernandez may be just what they need.

Manager Davey Johnson and pitching Coach Mel Stottlemyre decided after Fernandez threw 118 pitches in six innings that he had gone far enough. Besides, they are both impressed with McDowell, a 24-year-old right-hander from Cincinnati.

“I think Roger has found his spot,” Stottlemyre said. “He is best used as set-up man for Jesse Orosco, and he might occasionally finish to give Jesse a rest.”

The Phillies, who had only three hits and struck out 13 times against Dwight Gooden Friday night, have struck out 26 times in the last two games. They weren’t that impressed with Fernandez.

“We were trying to drive every pitch,” Hayes said, “and he got us off balance more with his breaking pitch than his fastball.”

Fernandez struck out Mike Schmidt three times. The Phillies’ slugger is hitting .193, and Manager John Felske is thinking of moving Schmidt to lead-off and putting Juan Samuel at cleanup. Gooden struck out Samuel four times.

Montreal 3, Atlanta 0--The Expos, the surprise of the early season, are doing it with some phenomenal pitching. Bill Gullickson pitched a five-hitter at Montreal to give the Expos their third consecutive shutout and keep them just one game behind the Mets in the East.

The Expos have not allowed a run in 30 innings, just three innings short of the club record set in 1980.

Tim Raines entered the game in an 0-for-17 slump, but had two hits, including a two-run single in the seventh that gave Gullickson (4-3) some breathing room.

St. Louis 9, San Francisco 4--Jack Clark is wasting no time showing the Giants they made a mistake in trading him to the Cardinals.

In four games this season he has assaulted Giant pitching. His two-run home run capped a four-run fourth inning at San Francisco that carried the Cardinals to their fourth win in five games with the Giants.

Clark is 10 for 16 in the four wins, has scored five runs and driven in seven. Against the rest of the league, Clark is batting only .235.

Tommy Herr, leading the league in batting before the game, was 2 for 5 for the Cardinals and drove in two runs. He is hitting .370 and has driven in 23 runs.

Houston 10, Cincinnati 7--Mario Soto was leading, 5-0, and had not given up a hit in three innings at Houston. It would seem the Reds couldn’t lose. But Jose Cruz homered in the third for the Astros’ first hit and they scored five times in the sixth inning and went on to beat the brilliant right-hander.

A bases-loaded triple by Phil Garner tied the score in the sixth and Mark Bailey’s squeeze bunt broke the tie a few seconds later.

San Diego 3, Chicago 1--Garry Templeton hit his third home run of the season to break a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning at San Diego and Steve Garvey hit his sixth in the eighth inning. The homer extended Garvey’s hitting streak to 11 games.

The Cubs only run off Eric Show and Goose Gossage was a home run by Gary Matthews in the fourth inning, one of the three Cub hits. Gossage pitched two scoreless innings for his eighth save.