National League Roundup : Ryan Is Still on the Wild Side, and Astros Lose

Could it be that the two greatest strikeout pitchers of all time are coming to the end of spectacular careers at the same time?

Nolan Ryan, the king, hasn’t won in two months, and Steve Carlton, No. 2, hasn’t even pitched in two months. Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies, a 314-game winner with 3,908 strikeouts, has a rotator cuff injury and may never pitch again.

The Houston Astros claim there is nothing physically wrong with Ryan, but the 38-year-old right-hander has lost seven games in a row.

Wednesday, it was a no-decision. Ryan lasted only three innings at San Francisco as the Astros beat the Giants, 7-5, on Dickie Thon’s three-run seventh-inning home run that broke a 3-3 tie.

Last month, Ryan became the first pitcher ever to strike out 4,000 batters. But an error deprived him of victory in that game, and on several other occasions, he hasn’t pitched well.

Wildness, a problem that plagued him throughout his career until the last couple of years, has become a factor once again.

In this game, his 11th start without a victory since he beat Atlanta June 17 to improve his record to 8-3, he made three wild pitches, walked four batters, and gave up four hits and three runs.

He also had three strikeouts to run his lifetime total to 4,038.

Actually, the last time Ryan had success was in the All-Star game. He intimidated the American League hitters, but he was also wild in that one.

In his first appearance after the All-Star game, he walked eight Montreal batters and lost, 3-1. In three other games in his losing streak, the Astros scored only one run. But generally, it has been his pitching that was to blame.

After Ryan knocked down Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson in the All-Star game, an irate New York Yankees Manager Billy Martin called Ryan (now 8-10) a .500 pitcher.

After being bombed last week at San Diego, Ryan blamed his problem on a lack of rhythm.

“I just don’t feel right out there,” he said. “I’ve had the trouble before, but usually, I’ve been able to work my way out of it quicker. I’m not giving any thought to retirement.”

It is possible that Carlton, who hasn’t pitched since the Cardinals hammered him June 18 to give him a 1-7 record, may be contemplating retirement. When he does, though, he probably won’t tell anybody.

Montreal 8, Chicago 7--Andre Dawson continues to be a hot hitter, and the Expos refuse to quit the pennant race in the East. Dawson went 4 for 5, scored a run and drove in a run at Chicago as the Expos continued to beat up on the Cubs.

With their fifth win in the last six games, the Expos moved within five games of the New York Mets.

The winner was Bryn Smith, who went six frustrating innings. He gave up seven hits, including a grand slam by former Dodger Ron Cey, and six runs, but only one was earned.

“All I did was battle back because I did not have good stuff,” Smith told UPI after improving his record to 14-4. “And when I had to come down the middle to Cey with the bases loaded on a 3-2 pitch, I figured it might not be my day.”

Smith hit his first major league home run in the fourth inning, but it was a pinch single by Scot Thompson, batting for Smith in the seventh, that put the Expos ahead to stay.

Thompson was batting .231 for San Francisco when the Expos obtained him Aug. 1. But he is 5 for 7, with two game-winning RBIs, for the Expos.

Philadelphia 2, New York 1--Keith Hernandez has been a tremendous clutch hitter for the Mets in the last six weeks, and he leads the majors with 19 game-winning runs batted in.

But even the best clutch hitters don’t deliver all the time. In this game at New York, the Mets’ nine-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt because their leader didn’t come through.

In the fifth inning, with the bases loaded, Hernandez struck out to end a rally. And in the ninth, again with the bases loaded, Hernandez banged into a double play to end the game.

“You can’t do it all the time,” Hernandez said. “The runners were there to drive in, and I didn’t do it.”

Overall, Hernandez stranded nine runners. The ability to get Hernandez out enabled Kevin Gross to improve his record to 12-9. But it was Don Carman who induced Hernandez to hit into the double play to end the game.

San Diego 4, Cincinnati 1--Dave Dravecky pitched a five-hitter at San Diego, and the Padres turned an error by shortstop Dave Concepcion into a four-run third inning.

With two on and two out in the third, Steve Garvey bounced to short, and Concepcion fumbled the ball. Terry Kennedy singled in two runs, and Graig Nettles doubled in two more.

Although he gave up only three hits and no earned runs in six innings, Jay Tibbs (5-13) was the loser.

The victory enabled the Padres to move ahead of the Reds into second place in the West.