National League Roundup : Cardinals Flying Again in East, Beat Reds, 3-0

The hoopla surrounding Dwight Gooden’s feat of winning 20 games at age 20 hid the fact for one day that the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals still lead the National League East.

St. Louis won its sixth straight and moved two games ahead of the Mets with a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. The Mets were beaten by the Dodgers, 6-1.

Cardinal pitcher Danny Cox (14-7), who is enjoying his best major league season, pitched a six-hitter at Cincinnati.

Cox has only allowed one earned run against the Reds this season and has pitched two shutouts. He has a 20-inning scoreless streak against Cincinnati and may get a chance to extend that when the Reds play at Busch Stadium on Sept. 2, 3 and 4.

“When I’m out there, our team has played well,” Cox said. “I think it a matter of good defense. They’ve hit the ball pretty good, but everybody out there played super. That’s what you’ve got to do to get shutouts.”

The Reds have managed just 14 hits in three games against Cox, who walked three and struck out only one batter in his ninth complete game and fourth shutout of the season.

Reds’ player-manager Pete Rose had one of the six singles off Cox, leaving him 11 hits behind Ty Cobb’s all-time mark of 4,192.

Terry Pendleton singled in one run, and Ozzie Smith bunted in another to help the Cardinals move their record to 76-46, the first time they’ve been 30 games over .500 since 1968.

“It looks like it’s going to take 35 or 40 (over .500), which is unusual for this division,” Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said.

The Cardinals scored all three runs in the second inning off loser Jay Tibbs (6-15).

Atlanta 2, Pittsburgh 1--Brave owner Ted Turner’s managerial change worked. Well, at least, for one game. Gerald Perry singled home Dale Murphy with one out in the bottom of the ninth togive new Manager Bobby Wine a victory at Atlanta.

Gene Garber (4-4) pitched one inning in relief to get the win and kept the Braves, who made the managerial change with Atlanta 22 games behind the Dodgers, from losing any ground.

The win also broke a six-game Brave losing streak.

Don Robinson (4-9) took the loss in relief of starter Bob Walk.

Philadelphia 4, San Diego 3--Juan Samuel is not hurting the Phillies on the field this season, and his bat, which has always been a plus, won another game at Veterans Stadium.

Samuel’s single with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning scored Tom Foley with the tie-breaking run and dropped the Padres 7 1/2 games behind the Dodgers.

Foley singled with one out and moved to second on a walk to Greg Gross. Pinch-hitter Tim Corcoran also walked to load the bases. Samuel ripped Padre reliever Lance McCullers’ pitch into right field for his 10th game-winning hit of the season.

Reliever Don Carman (5-4) pitched two scoreless innings. McCullers (0-1) suffered his first major league loss after four saves.

Jerry Koosman, the oldest pitcher in the NL, will not pitch again this season because of a chronic knee problem. Phillie team physician Dr. Phillip Marone examined Koosman during the weekend and recommended resting the 42-year-old pitcher for the remainder of the season.

Koosman underwent surgery on his left knee earlier in the season and was placed on the disabled list Thursday when the knee became inflamed.

San Francisco 7, Montreal 4--The Expos, who are dropping out of the NL East race rapidly, lost to the Giants at Montreal.

Chili Davis hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs as Montreal fell to 8 1/2 games behind the Cardinals.

Dave LaPoint (7-11) allowed six hits and three runs over seven innings. Scott Garrelts finished for his 12th save and doubled home a pair of runs in the ninth inning.

Bill Laskey (5-14), acquired by Montreal from the Giants earlier this month, gave up six hits in 6 innings and lost his third straight as an Expo.

Chicago 10, Houston 4--Steve Engel won his first game in the major leagues and hit a three-run homer as the Cubs won at Houston.

Engel (1-2) walked three and struck out four. His first complete game was the first for the Cubs since June 30 and the first in 50 games.

Kevin Bass hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Houston, his 12th of the year.