National League Roundup : Not a Gooden, but He Will Take It

Dwight Gooden, in just two seasons in the National League, is already a pitcher without a real weakness. However, it has been established that he is a better pitcher at night than he is in daylight.

So, with the Pittsburgh Pirates opening the season Tuesday at twilight, it was not too surprising that former Dodger R.J. Reynolds hit his third pitch of the game for a home run.

Neither is it surprising that when darkness arrived a little later, Gooden started his season by pitching the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory and spoiled the opener for 48,953 fans out to look over the new edition of the Pirates.

Gooden, who had a 24-4 record and an earned-run average of 1.53 last season while just a 20-year-old, went the distance despite the cold weather. He gave up six hits, including a lead-off double to Reynolds in the sixth that led to the Pirates other run, and struck out six.

“It feels good to get the first one in,” Gooden said. “I wasn’t nervous. I tried to be nervous because this was the opener, but it was just like a middle-of-the-season game.”

Keith Hernandez, who heard boos throughout spring training and taunts about his use of cocaine, answered his critics. He had a double and single, drove in two runs and scored another.

“I guess, little by little,” Hernandez told Marty Noble of Newsday, “it will start to fade. I’m sure I’ll hear about it in every city the first time around. Then, it’ll die down--except in St. Louis.”

Rick Reuschel was the loser. The Mets tagged him for three runs and five hits in six innings.

St. Louis 2, Chicago 1--John Tudor, off to a horrible start and a fast finish last season, is picking up where he left off.

Before a record opening day crowd at St. Louis of 48,672, Tudor pitched a five-hitter, and Andy Van Slyke drove in both Cardinal runs. The Cardinals had only two hits off Rick Sutcliffe, one of them a broken bat single by Jack Clark.

Tudor won only one of his first 10 starts last season, but won 20 of his last 21 decisions during the regular season.

Van Slyke’s single drove in the runs after Tommy Herr walked and Clark singled in the fourth.

Tudor lost his shutout in the seventh when Jody Davis drove in Keith Moreland with a sacrifice fly.

Sutcliffe went seven innings, struck out seven and walked four.

Atlanta 6, Montreal 0--Dale Murphy can hit home runs anytime, but Rick Mahler is at his best in the spring.

Mahler, who shut out Philadelphia in the Braves’ opener last season, pitched a five-hitter to give Chuck Tanner a victory in his debut as Atlanta manager.

Murphy hit a two-run home run at Atlanta to provide all the offense Mahler needed.

San Francisco 8, Houston 3--Will Clark, the sensation of the spring, joined the long list of players who have homered in their first time at bat in the majors in this game at Houston.

However, it was a bases-loaded pinch triple by former Dodger Candy Maldonado that broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning.

Nolan Ryan, who has not been able to find his blistering fastball this spring, gave up the home run to Clark. He was the loser, although Maldonado’s hit came off relief pitcher Jeff Calhoun.