National League Roundup : Sun Plays Key Role in Cubs’ 13th Straight Loss

The sun, an old friend at Wrigley Field, Tuesday became the Chicago Cubs’ newest enemy.

The Cubs, who tied a club record with their 13th straight loss when they were beaten, 3-2, by the New York Mets, might have ended their woes had right fielder Keith Moreland been able to field a Lenny Dykstra fly ball with one out in the first inning.

Instead, Moreland lost the ball in the sun, enabling Dykstra to reach third with a triple. He scored on Keith Hernandez’s sacrifice fly--which probably would have been the third out of the inning on a cloudy day.

Gary Carter followed with his 10th homer to give Dwight Gooden and the Mets a 2-0 lead.

“I don’t like to use day ball as an excuse,” said Moreland, who also lost a ball for an error in the fifth. “There’s no excuse for me losing the ball and the game. I just missed the ball.”

Gooden (11-3) scattered nine hits to win his fifth straight game and his second over the Cubs in a week. Last Thursday in New York, he earned a 1-0 victory when he yielded six hits.

Tuesday’s win, in which he struck out six and walked three in pitching his seventh complete game, was his first at Chicago.

“I was glad to finally win at Wrigley Field; I knew what happened last year,” said Gooden, who absorbed losses of 11-2 and 9-3 as a rookie at Chicago in 1984.

New York’s Howard Johnson added a solo homer off Scott Sanderson (3-3) in the fourth.

The Cubs scored a run in the first on singles by Billy Hatcher and Ryne Sandberg and a sacrifice fly by Gary Matthews. They added another run in the seventh when Ron Cey doubled, went to third on a bunt and scored as pinch-hitter Richie Hebner grounded out.

The Cubs’ 13-game losing streak matches the mark set in 1944 and equaled in 1982.

Cincinnati 7, San Francisco 6--Cesar Cedeno’s two-run homer touched off a four-run eighth inning that carried the Reds to the win over the Giants at Riverfront Stadium.

For San Francisco, which wasted a 6-2 lead after seven innings off starter Mario Soto, it was the fifth straight loss.

Cedeno’s second homer of the season trimmed the lead to 6-5 in the eighth against reliever Mark Davis (3-5). Singles by Nick Esasky and Ron Oester and a throwing error by first baseman Scot Thompson on Eddie Milner’s grounder let Esasky score the tying run.

Gary Redus grounded out to send Milner home with the go-ahead run.

John Stuper (6-5) worked the eighth inning for the victory, while Ted Power pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2--Dan Driessen’s seventh-inning single drove in the winning run and Jeff Reardon earned his 21st save as the Expos edged the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Reardon retired seven of eight batters he faced to make a winner of Tim Burke (4-0), who worked only one-third of an inning.

Reliever Al Holland (1-4) took the loss.

Philadelphia 3, St. Louis 1--Glenn Wilson’s three-run double in the third inning and Jerry Koosman’s three-hit pitching led the Phillies over the Cardinals at Philadelphia.

Koosman beat the Cardinals and Joaquin Andujar for the second time in a week. The 42-year-old left-hander started and pitched six innings last Wednesday as Philadelphia shut out St. Louis, 1-0.

Koosman (3-1) struck out eight and walked two in his second complete game this year. The Cardinals’ only run was unearned.

Andujar, who leads the National League with 12 victories, got his third loss.

Atlanta 6, Houston 4--Rafael Ramirez hit a two-run triple and the Braves used six Houston errors to score four unearned runs, three in the sixth inning, in their win at Houston.

The Astros’ error total was one short of the team record. Third baseman Phil Garner and shortstop Craig Reynolds each made three.

Rick Mahler (11-6) pitched 7 innings, then was chased when consecutive home runs gave the Astros three runs in the eighth. Terry Forster and Bruce Sutter finished, Sutter gaining his 12th save.

Bob Knepper (7-4) took the loss.