National League Roundup : Foster Hits Pair in Mets’ 11-2 Win

Met Manager Davey Johnson has to wonder why George Foster has started to hit home runs. He’s not going to ask too many questions, though.

The 37-year-old Foster hit two home runs, giving him nine for the season, and drove in four runs as the New York Mets routed the San Diego Padres, 11-2, Monday night at New York.

Dwight Gooden pitched a four-hitter, and Danny Heep also homered for the Mets, who had lost two in a row. Heep scored three runs and drove in three.

Gooden (7-2) won his second straight start after a brief slump during which he went 0-2 with a no-decision in three starts. He walked three and struck out four in his sixth complete game of the season.

Gooden lost his shutout when Kevin McReynolds hit his 11th homer in the seventh inning, and the Padres added a run in the eighth when pinch-hitter Marvel Wynne hit a sacrifice fly.

Foster had the 21st two-homer day of his 18-year career and raised his career home-run total to 343, enabling him to pass Ron Santo and move into 37th place on the all-time homer list.

Foster has hit five home runs and driven in 12 runs in his last seven games. His two-homer game was his second this season, the first coming May 18 off Jerry Reuss of the Dodgers at Los Angeles.

Of Foster’s last dozen hits over 20 games, nine have been homers, and he has 20 RBIs over that stretch.

“I don’t want to know,” was Johnson’s reply when asked about Foster’s outburst. “Just let him go. George has been like this ever since I’ve been here.

“Foster looks bad for a week and then he goes on a tear. Last season, George had fewer bad streaks than the previous year, and I attribute that to his great physical condition.”

Bill Robinson, batting coach of the winningest team in the majors, said: “Just when a pitcher thinks he has him buried--boom, a home run. It’s nothing I have done.

“In fact, I’ve worked very little with him,” Robinson said. “Last year, and again this season, I noticed that he was tilting his bat toward the dugout. I made a suggestion that he hold the bat perpendicular.

“George knew it was just a bad habit. Tonight he hit a hanging curve ball for a homer. That’s the sign of a good batter--jump on a pitcher’s mistake. George gets all the credit.”

Pittsburgh 9, Atlanta 2-- Rick Reuschel gave up three hits in 5 innings and drove in two runs with one of his two hits as the Pirates routed the Braves at Atlanta.

Reuschel (4-4) has not lost to Atlanta since April, 1979, winning seven straight decisions. R.J. Reynolds had two hits in four at-bats, walked once, stole two bases, scored three runs and drove in another.

Chicago 8, Cincinnati 6--Ryne Sandberg hit a three-run homer and Rick Sutcliffe scattered five hits over 6 innings as the Cubs beat the Reds at Cincinnati.

Sutcliffe had a streak of 22 scoreless innings snapped in the sixth when Nick Esasky led off with a double and Buddy Bell hit his second homer of the season.

Sutcliffe (4-6) allowed just five hits in 6 innings but hurt himself with five walks, two wild pitches and one hit batsman. The right-hander shut out the Reds on four hits in his previous start last Wednesday at Wrigley Field, and is 8-1 lifetime against Cincinnati.

Sutcliffe left after giving up a three-run homer to Esasky in the seventh that trimmed the lead to 8-5. Jay Baller gave up an eighth-inning Cincinnati run on Dave Concepcion’s RBI triple, and Lee Smith pitched the final 1 innings for his eighth save.

St. Louis 9, Houston 2--John Tudor pitched a four-hitter and Ozzie Smith equaled his career high with four hits, including a two-run single, as the Cardinals routed the Astros at Houston.

Tudor (5-3) walked one and struck out seven in posting his second complete game of the season.