National League Roundup : Expos Rout Phillies on a Youmans’ Effort, 12-0

Floyd Youmans gave up just an infield hit in the fourth inning and hit a two-run home run to lead the Montreal Expos to a 12-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies Sunday at Montreal.

In a performance of the type you might expect from his former high school teammate, Dwight Gooden, Youmans turned in the first one-hitter, shutout and complete game of his two-year major league career. The home run was also a first.

Plagued by control trouble throughout his career, the 6-2 right-hander escaped damage despite seven walks. Glenn Wilson’s grounder up the middle in the fourth was fielded by second baseman Al Newman, but Wilson beat the throw to first. Youmans (5-5) struck out eight.

Youmans went into the game with a 5.91 earned-run average and had walked 37 batters in 56 innings. He was told earlier in the week, after the San Francisco Giants hammered him for eight hits and six runs in six innings, to get rid of his curveball.

All he threw to the Phillies, who had won 10 out of 12, were fastballs and changeups. They were too much for the Phillies, who didn’t even hit many balls hard.

“I guess getting rid of the curve was a good idea,” Youmans told United Press International. “It really helped me because I worked hard on my changeup. But, when I started out, I wasn’t confident. I didn’t think I had my best stuff.”

Hubie Brooks hit a two-run home run in the first to get Youmans off to a fast start and Tim Raines hit a grand slam in the eighth, but Youmans was more excited about his home run in the second.

“All week long in batting practice I felt like I would hit one out,” Youmans said. “I’ve always been a good hitter. In high school I had a .406 career average and hit about nine home runs a year.”

The first two high school seasons were at Hillsborough in Tampa, Fla., where Gooden was a teammate. His last two years were in California at Fontana. His last year he struck out 200 batters and batted .407.

He was drafted by the New York Mets on the second round in June, 1982. After posting some impressive strikeout totals in the minors, he went to the Expos as part of the deal that sent catcher Gary Carter to the Mets.

In 14 games with the Expos last season, he was 3-4 with an ERA of 2.45 and struck out 54 batters in 77 innings. He also walked 49.

Mainly because of wildness (15 walks in 19 innings), he began this season 0-3. The Expos have stayed with him and he’s beginning to pay dividends.

San Diego 4, Atlanta 1--Almost the only starting pitcher in the league with a worse ERA than Youmans, Mark Thurmond, also had a big day with his arm and bat at San Diego.

Thurmond, who had an ERA of 6.39 and hadn’t won since Apr. 30, pitched a three-hitter and drove in four runs, more than any other Padre in a game this season.

The Braves didn’t learn a thing. With first base open in the second, they walked Garry Templeton to get to the pitcher. Thurmond promptly doubled to left, driving in two runs. In the sixth, with runners on second and third, they again walked Templeton to get to Thurmond. After missing a squeeze bunt to eliminate one baserunner, Thurmond singled to drive in the other two.

Thurmond retired the first 10 Braves before Rafael Ramirez hit his fourth home run of the year.

New York 4, Pittsburgh 3--Kevin Mitchell hit a two-run home run, had two other hits and drove in three runs at Pittsburgh to pace the Mets.

Sharp relief pitching by Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco enabled Sid Fernandez to improve his record to 6-2. McDowell held the Pirates to a hit in 2 innings and Orosco got the final out for his 10th save.

Chicago 14, St. Louis 2--Keith Moreland hit a three-run home run to highlight a nine-run sixth inning at St. Louis. The Cubs, who led, 3-0, going into the sixth, sent 13 batters to the plate.

They wound up with 20 hits and made it easy for Steve Trout (3-3).

Cincinnati 7-1, San Francisco 3-3--Consecutive suicide squeeze bunts by Mike Woodward and Rob Thompson in the eighth inning of the second game gave the Giants a split of the doubleheader at San Francisco.

A 440-foot, two-run home run in the first inning by Dave Parker and a two-run triple by Pete Rose sparked the Reds in the opener.

The second game was a duel between rookie Terry Mulholland of the Giants and Mario Soto, just off the disabled list. Both pitched brilliantly for seven innings, but neither figured in the decision. Jeff Robinson (4-1) pitched 1 innings to win it.