National League Roundup : Gooden Pitches Two-Hit Shutout to Run Scoreless-Inning Streak to 31

For Dwight Gooden, it was business as usual. Well, almost as usual.

“What can you say about him that hasn’t been already been said?” New York Manager Dave Johnson said after Gooden pitched a two-hitter and extended his scoreless-inning streak to 31 in leading the Mets past the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-0, Monday night at Shea Stadium.

Gooden, however, provided a new wrinkle on his own. He equalled Philadelphia’s hit total by getting two hits, including a two-run double, to spark a 14-hit New York attack.

“I saw the ball well,” Gooden said. “They threw me fastballs high and inside and I hit them.”

Gooden had only one run batted in going into the game.

On the mound, Gooden won his major league-leading 21st game while striking out 11 and walking two.

“I didn’t throw one change-up tonight,” Gooden said. “Around the third inning, I realized I had a good fastball. I had a good curve and sometimes I took something off it.”

The performance was the first complete-game two-hitter of Gooden’s career. He threw a one-hitter last season.

“He was outstanding,” Phillie Manager John Felske said. “The evidence is on the scoreboard.”

Gary Carter homered and drove in four runs, and Mookie Wilson had three hits, including a two-run triple.

Despite the victory, second-place New York lost ground to National League East leader St. Louis. The Cardinals swept a doubleheader from Pittsburgh and increased their lead over the Mets to one game.

The only hits off Gooden were Mike Schmidt’s one-out double in the fourth and Jeff Stone’s single in the ninth. In between, Gooden retired 14 straight batters.

It was the third straight time Gooden has thrown nine shutout innings, but only the first time he has won.

Gooden increased his strikeout total to 247 and lowered his ERA to 1.61, both the best in the majors. It was the 15th time this season he struck out 10 or more batters and the 25th time in his two-year career.

With his seventh shutout of the season and his 14th complete game, he tied St. Louis’ John Tudor with the longest scoreless streak of the year. He also matched the New York team record for shutouts in a season, set by Jerry Koosman in 1968 and tied by Jon Matlack in 1974.

St. Louis 8-3, Pittsburgh 4-1--Willie McGee singled home Vince Coleman with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to help the first-place Cardinals sweep a doubleheader from the Pirates at Pittsburgh. St. Louis has won five straight.

“I’m really happy about today,” Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said. “It was a super doubleheader. I was concerned about playing the Pirates because with all the new faces they have, there is a new enthusiasm. They have been playing very well. And to come in here and win two, I’m delighted.”

In the first game, Tudor pitched six innings and allowed eight hits to improve his record to 19-8. He walked four and struck out two. A grand slam by Bill Almon in the fourth ended Tudor’s scoreless inning streak at 31 innings. It was his 18th win in his last 19 decisions.

“I didn’t imagine this would be happening (after his 1-8 start),” Tudor said. “It’s been fun. I have always felt I was a half-decent pitcher, not a yearly 20-game winner. But I felt I could win 14, 15, 16 games a year.”

Montreal 8, Chicago 5--Tim Raines capped a three-run seventh inning with a two-out, two-run single as the Expos handed the Cubs their fifth straight loss in Montreal.

Monday was Raines’ 26th birthday. “Everyone likes to do a good job on their birthday,” Raines said. “Everyone’s pulling for you, and it makes me happy to come up with some good deeds.”

Scot Thompson, pinch-hitting for Sal Butera, snapped a 5-5 tie with a sacrifice fly to center field after the Expos loaded the bases on Tim Wallach’s single and two walks by reliever George Frazier (7-7). After Frazier walked pitcher Tim Burke to reload the bases, Raines singled off reliever Ron Meridith.

The three-run outburst enabled Burke to gain his ninth victory in 12 decisions. He did not allow a hit in 2 innings of relief of starter Bill Gullickson.

Keith Moreland drove in three runs with a pair of singles and a double that pulled the Cubs into a 5-5 tie in the seventh.

Houston 7, Atlanta 2--Rookie right-hander Jeff Heathcock pitched a four-hitter and Jose Cruz, Jerry Mumphrey and Denny Walling each hit his seventh homer of the season as the Astros won their sixth straight game at Atlanta.

Heathcock allowed only three baserunners after the first inning. He struck out two and walked one.

After Dale Murphy hit a two-run homer in the first inning, giving him a major league high of 36 this season, Heathcock (2-1) settled down to register his first career complete game.

Joe Johnson (4-1) was the loser for Atlanta, yielding eight hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two.

Cincinnati 7, San Francisco 6--Gary Redus raced home from third base on Mark Davis’ wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to score the winning run at Cincinnati.