National League Roundup : Padres’ Hoyt Outpitches Gooden

LaMarr Hoyt has been searching for his Cy Young form for more than a year.

The San Diego Padres haven’t been waiting nearly as long, but they were just as glad to see the old Hoyt show up Monday night at New York to outpitch Dwight Gooden with a four-hitter in a 2-0 victory over the New York Mets.

“That’s the Hoyt we’ve been looking for,” Manager Dick Williams said after the Padres took a two-game lead in the West. “He needed this one for himself . . . and for us.”

Hoyt (3-4) pitched the Chicago White Sox to the American League West title two years ago with a 24-10 record, but slumped to 13-19 last season and was traded to the Padres in December.

Five days ago he hit bottom, giving up eight runs in one inning to the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I hated what happened against the Cardinals,” Hoyt said. “However, I’ve been around long enough to realize that something like that can happen.

“My biggest problem was myself. I’ve been babying my pitches all along. Tonight, I decided to go out there and throw hard from the very beginning.”

Hoyt allowed just two hits after the second inning, retiring 11 straight at one point. He struck out three and walked two.

He also helped himself in the second inning with a two-out, run-scoring single--his first major league hit.

Kevin McReynolds opened the inning with a home run, his fifth of the season, to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.

Hoyt struggled only in the first inning, loading the bases with none out and going to 3 and 0 on Gary Carter before getting him to hit into a double play.

“I was determined to pitch him out and away,” Hoyt said. “I didn’t want to throw an inside pitch so that he could get a cheap grand slam in the very first inning.”

Gooden (6-2) saw his four-game winning streak end despite striking out nine and not allowing a walk over eight innings. The strikeouts increased his season total to a major league leading 66.

Chicago 6, Cincinnati 1--Reserves Davey Lopes and Steve Lake, inserted in the starting lineup, each drove in two runs at Chicago as the Cubs snapped the Reds’ five-game winning streak.

Lopes, filling in for Ron Cey at third base, had a sacrifice fly and two singles, while Lake, replacing catcher Jody Davis, singled in two runs in a three-run sixth to help pin the loss on Jay Tibbs (3-6).

Scott Sanderson (3-1) pitched a five-hitter for the Cubs, losing his shutout on Pete Rose’s home run in the fourth. It was Rose’s first homer since Sept. 18, 1982.

Pittsburgh 3, Houston 1--Rick Rhoden scattered four hits over six innings and delivered a key single in a two-run Pittsburgh fifth inning as the Pirates defeated the Astros.

Rhoden (3-4) left the game with tightness in his pitching arm, and Al Holland finished up with three scoreless innings for his third save.

Houston’s Joe Niekro walked in the go-ahead run in the fifth.

Philadelphia 2, San Francisco 1--Steve Jeltz singled home the tie-breaking run in the seventh inning to help Steve Carlton tie Gaylord Perry for 10th place on the all-time victory list as the Phillies beat the Giants at Philadelphia.

Carlton (1-3) worked seven innings, yielding five hits while walking one and striking out four for his 314th victory. Kent Tekulve hurled the final two innings to notch his first save. Reliever Vida Blue (2-1) took the loss.

St. Louis 14, Atlanta 0--Willie McGee homered and drove in five runs while Andy Van Slyke homered and drove in three as the Braves embarrassed the Braves at Atlanta.

Joaquin Andujar (7-1) allowed the Braves six singles after a 1 hour 50 minute rain delay.