National League Roundup : Gooden Throws Cardinals a Curve, 9-0

Dwight Gooden pitched a five-hitter for his 12th career shutout, and Ray Knight homered twice Friday night to lift the New York Mets to their seventh straight victory, a 9-0 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals at St. Louis.

Gooden (3-0) struck out five and did not walk a batter in outpitching Rick Horton (0-2) and sending the Cardinals to their fifth straight loss. St. Louis has scored only one run in the 22 innings Horton has pitched this year.

The homers gave Knight six for the season, equaling his total of last year. His career high is 14, coming in 1980 with Cincinnati. The Mets have a total of 11 homers.

Gooden said he went to his curveball early and often to keep the Cardinals off-balance, a factor that helped account for his relatively modest five-strikeout total.

“They’re a good contact-hitting team, and they expect the fastball,” Gooden said.

“He used his breaking ball very effectively,” New York Manager Davey Johnson said. “He established it early so he didn’t have to rely on his fastball. I think it was the most curveballs he has thrown in a big league game.”

Houston 3, Cincinnati 1--Nolan Ryan tossed a five-hitter, and Dickie Thon and Glenn Davis drove home a run apiece in the first inning for the Astros at Houston.

Ryan (3-2) walked three, hit a batter, and struck out seven in posting his first complete game of the season. It was the 203rd complete game of Ryan’s career, and he increased his all-time leading strikeout total to 4,112. Tom Browning (0-2) took the loss.

The game marked the first appearance of the season for Cincinnati player-manager Pete Rose. He went 0 for 2 and walked twice.

Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 3--Kevin Gross and Steve Bedrosian combined on a nine-hitter, and Luis Aguayo drove in two runs to lead the Phillies at Pittsburgh.

Gross left the game with two on and none out in the eighth. Bedrosian retired Tony Pena on a double-play grounder and Jim Morrison on a fly to left to end the threat.

The Pirates got their first run in the sixth when Sid Bream led off with a home run to right field, his third homer of the season.

Montreal 4, Chicago 2--Hubie Brooks and Tim Wallach hit successive home runs in the 11th inning at Wrigley Field as the Expos snapped the Cubs’ three-game winning streak.

San Diego 9, San Francisco 8--Relief pitcher Craig Lefferts hit the first home run of his major league career in the bottom of the 12th inning for the Padres at San Diego.

The Giants had taken an 8-7 lead in the top of the 12th, but Graig Nettles led off the bottom of the 12th with his first homer of the season to tie the game, and then Lefferts won it.