National League Roundup : Cards’ Wizard of Oz Has Magic in His Bat, Too

Ozzie Smith is called the Wizard of Oz because of the magical way in which he performs at shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals.

There were eyebrows raised when the Cardinals announced they had signed Smith to a long term contract calling for $2 million per season. Even in these days of inflated salaries, nobody pays a .238 lifetime hitter that kind of money just for his fielding, it was said.

The acrobatic 30-year-old Smith is doing much more than just field for the St. Louis Cardinals as they continue to hang on to the top position in the National League East.

The switch-hitting speedster is batting .278 and has already exceeded his home run output for one season.

Smith hit a two-run homer and a single Wednesday night at St. Louis to lead the onrushing Cardinals to a 7-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants, their fourth win in a row, to remain 2 1/2 games in front in the East.

Smith’s home run, his fourth this season after he hit seven in his first seven seasons, came off Vida Blue in the second after a double by Tito Landrum and tied the score, 2-2.

In the next inning, Vince Coleman, as he has so often this season, triggered the winning rally with a bunt single, continued to second on a throwing error, stole third, and scored on Tommy Herr’s single. Jack Clark followed with his 16th home run.

Home runs, though, are not what the Cardinals expect from Smith. The little things are what make him invaluable to the Cardinals. He is probably their most adept player at advancing runners into scoring position. If he doesn’t bunt the runner along, he will move him up with a high chopper. Smith has learned to make use of his speed on the artificial turf. A high chopper, especially when he is batting left-handed, is a sure hit.

“There are many things he does on offense,” Manager Whitey Herzog told the Associated Press recently. “Everybody talks about his fielding, and that is something to behold, but he is an important part of our offense, too.”

New York 2, Cincinnati 1--The Mets have found a fifth starter, and they are on a roll. Rookie Rich Aguilera pitched a six-hitter at Cincinnati, and the Mets won their ninth in a row, the last seven on the road.

Last Friday, Aguilera pitched a five-hitter to beat Atlanta.

Keith Hernandez, in a deep slump until a week ago, doubled home the winning run in the fifth inning. In the three-game sweep of the Reds, Hernandez was 7 for 10 with 6 runs batted in. On the trip, he has driven in 11 runs in 7 games.

The only run off Aguilera came on Dave Parker’s 15th homer in the fourth inning.

Chicago 4, San Diego 3--Former Dodger Davey Lopes was looking for a ball to drive out when he came up in the seventh inning at Chicago with a man on base and the Cubs trailing, 3-1.

Dave Dravecky gave Lopes one he could hit out, to tie the game, then served up a pitch to Keith Moreland for the home run that won it.

“There wasn’t any pressure on me in that situation,” Moreland told the UPI. “He just threw me the ball where I’ve been swinging.”

The defeat dropped the slumping Padres’ lead in the West over the Dodgers to just 1 1/2 games.

Montreal 6, Atlanta 5--Until just before the end of June, the Expos didn’t have a home run from a catcher since they traded away Gary Carter during the offseason.

Mike Fitzgerald has remedied that problem. Fitzgerald, who hit his first two to win a game June 28, led off the 11th inning at Atlanta with his fifth home run in his last 10 games to give the Expos another victory.

Bob Horner’s two-run homer in the eighth for the Braves sent the game into extra innings.

Houston 10, Philadelphia 0----Jose Cruz hit a bases-loaded triple to highlight a five-run first inning at Houston that gave Mike Scott a cushion on his way to his third win in a row.

Scott gave up only four hits in improving his record to 8-4.

The Astros had another five-run inning in the fifth in which Cruz singled. Bill Doran, who like Cruz, had three hits, doubled home two runs in the fifth.