National League Roundup : Astros on Losing End of Shutout Once Again

Bryn Smith pitched a six-hitter Friday night at Montreal and Vance Law and Tim Wallach hit homers as the Expos beat the punchless Houston Astros, 4-0.

Smith struck out seven and extended the Astros’ scoreless string to 34 innings. Joe Hesketh, who had not won in almost two months, shut the Astros out Thursday night. Last Sunday, Dwight Gooden shut them out.

The Astros figured to have trouble with Smith. The right-hander, who will be 30 next month, is a major reason why the Expos are in the race in the East. He won his fourth in a row to improve his record to 11-3. For the fourth time in his last six starts he did not walk a batter. He has walked only 19 batters in 132 innings this season.

The Expos weren’t really expecting a whole lot from Smith this season after he was 12-13 last year. The Expos expected Steve Rogers and Charlie Lea to lead their pennant bid. They were also high on rookie Hesketh and they also ranked Bill Gullickson ahead of Smith.

Rogers started the season opener, but was such a dismal failure that he was released before the season was a month old. Lea developed a shoulder problem in spring training and hasn’t pitched all season. Gullickson has been inconsistent, and Hesketh has had numerous problems.

By process of elimination, Smith is the ace of the staff. Except for his first two starts after returning from an elbow problem Smith has been the steadiest Expo pitcher. Smith missed three starts in mid-May, then gave up nine runs in nine innings in two starts before regaining his best form.

“The big difference isn’t my pitching,” Smith told UPI. “It is the support I’m getting. In past seasons I wasn’t getting much support. But now it is just the opposite.”

Astros Manager Bob Lillis gave some of the credit for extending the Astros’ slump to Smith.

“I take my hat off to Smith and some of those other pitchers,” Lillis said. “They’re doing the job on us.”

Atlanta 1, New York 0--Another Smith, Zane of the Braves, has finally won a job in the starting rotation.

Smith held the Mets to three hits in 7 innings at Atlanta, and when Bruce Sutter shut down the Mets the rest of the way, improved his record to 6-5.

Terry Harper singled in the only run in the seventh to end the Mets’ four-game winning streak.

The 24-year-old left-hander has made eight starts since being put into the rotation and during that span has a 1.47 earned-run average.

“I was surprised when he (Manager Eddie Haas) took me out,” Smith said. “The hit in the eighth was a bloop, and when I struck out (Howard) Johnson, I figured I’d stay. But, he’s the boss.”

It may have been a costly win. The Braves’ shortstop, Rafael Ramirez, broke a finger on his left hand.

Before the game, umpires warned Manager Dave Johnson of the Mets that if first baseman Keith Hernandez continued to hold runners on base with one foot in foul territory he would be ejected.

“As soon as the pitcher throws the ball, I’m in fair territory,” Hernandez told the Associated Press. “It’s a ridiculous rule. But I know who put the league up to this----the St. Louis Cardinals.”

The angry Mets said they would protest to league president Chub Feeney because it is the way Hernandez has been doing it for 12 years.

San Diego 6, Pittsburgh 0--Andy Hawkins, who had been bothered by a tender finger on his pitching hand, had not won a game since June 9, but he drew Jose DeLeon for this one at San Diego.

Hawkins went seven innings to improve his record to 12-2, while DeLeon, as usual, lost. He is 2-14 in 20 starts this season.

Terry Kennedy hit a three-run home run and Graig Nettles also homered for the Padres. DeLeon departed after giving up four runs, including Kennedy’s three-run blast, in four innings.

Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 2--Buddy Bell, having joined the Reds in a trade for Duane Walker and a player to be named, was 1 for 4 in his debut at Cincinnati. Pete Rose failed to add to his hit total, but he did hit two sacrifice flies to help the Cincinnati cause.

However, it was a bloop double by Gary Redus with one out in the bottom of the ninth that scored Ron Oester from second with the winning run. Oester opened the inning by beating out a bunt and was sacrificed to second.

John Franco pitched two scoreless innings of relief to improve his record to 7-1.

“You could give Redus a bucket of baseballs, and he couldn’t drop another one close to that spot,” losing pitcher Kent Tekulve said. “You couldn’t defense that one.”

Chicago 4, San Francisco 3--Pinch-hitters Richie Hebner and Thad Bosley knocked in runs during a three-run seventh-inning rally that lifted the Cubs to their victory, snapping the Giants’ three-game winning streak.

San Francisco right-hander Jim Gott (4-7) took a 2-1 lead into the seventh before the rally that made Lary Sorensen (2-2) the winner. Lee Smith pitched the last 1 innings for his 20th save.