National League Roundup : Carter Is Into His June Boom as Mets Win, 5-3

Some teams and players go into a June swoon. However, this is the time of year when Gary Carter’s bat comes alive.

The last two seasons, Carter has begun his spurt on June 10.

Last season, the star catcher of the New York Mets was hitting .230 on June 10 and hit a home run. He finished the season batting .281.

This season, he was also hitting .230 on June 10, which was Tuesday, and he hit two home runs. Wednesday night, Carter acted as if he planned on getting to .281 in a hurry. He went 1 for 3 and drove in two runs at New York to lead the Mets to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last season and this, the Mets have managed to play well without much help from Carter in the first two months. A year ago after 55 games, they were 32-23. Now, they are doing even better, with the best record in the majors at 39-16 and an eight-game lead in the National League East.

“I’m just hoping to go forward from June 10 the way I did last year,” Carter said. “I don’t really try to get off to a slow start. It just happens.”

Ray Knight drove in two runs and hit his eighth home run as the Mets jumped on Steve Carlton to give Ron Darling a 5-1 lead in three innings.

But Darling couldn’t stand prosperity, and Manager Davey Johnson had to use his bullpen again. Roger McDowell went 1 innings, and Jesse Orosco got the last two outs to pick up his 11th save. It would seem that the only thing that could prevent the Mets from winning the division would be a bullpen collapse. McDowell has appeared in 28 games, Orosco in 26.

McDowell has a 6-0 record and 4 saves. In his last 18 appearances, he has pitched 35 innings and posted an earned-run average of 1.02.

Orosco, appearing in his sixth consecutive game, made just one pitch, getting Luis Aguayo to hit into a game-ending double play.

Although he gave up only one hit, McDowell missed a chance for the save.

“I totally understand,” McDowell said. “When I get taken out, it means I didn’t do my job. But there’s no rivalry between Jesse and me. We’re just part of a 24-man team. All we want to do is win.”

Atlanta 2, San Francisco 1--Ozzie Virgil hit a home run with two out in the 10th inning at San Francisco to give the Braves the victory.

Relief pitcher Greg Minton, who took over after Scott Garrelts had held the Braves to four hits in nine innings, retired the first two Braves in the 10th on ground balls. But his sinker failed to sink, and Virgil hit his ninth homer into a brisk breeze.

The Giants scored an unearned run in the first inning when Atlanta second baseman Glenn Hubbard made two errors on the same play.

The Braves’ David Palmer, whose third-inning home run tied the game, gave up four hits in six innings; Jeff Dedmon pitched a hitless seventh, and Gene Garber threw three perfect innings to earn his second victory.

“Garber has been the best relief pitcher in the league lately,” Brave Manager Chuck Tanner said.

In his last 10 appearances, covering 16 innings, Garber has not given up a run.

San Diego 11, Houston 7--The Padres blew a 7-1 lead at San Diego, but slump-ridden shortstop Garry Templeton hit a bases-loaded double to spark a four-run eighth inning that put an end to the Astros’ four-game winning streak.

Tony Gwynn, one of the league’s top hitters, helped the Padres build their big lead with hits his first two times up. But he left the game in the fourth inning with a tendon injury in his right knee. He said he would be ready for the Dodger series beginning Friday night.

The Padres were leading, 7-3, going into the seventh when LaMarr Hoyt, seldom used in relief, replaced starter Andy Hawkins. Hoyt faced four batters, walking two and giving up hits to the other two. All of them scored, and the Astros temporarily caught up.

Pittsburgh 5, Chicago 3--Rick Rhoden pitched and batted the Pirates to their third win in a row at home. Rhoden won his fourth straight game and singled in two runs in a three-run fourth inning.

Rhoden (6-3) gave up 7 hits and 4 walks in 5 innings.

The Pirates’ Barry Bonds singled in one run, and tripled and scored in the seventh.

Montreal 4, St. Louis 3--The situation just keeps getting worse for the Cardinals. In this game at St. Louis, Jack Clark doubled to open the ninth and scored the tying run, but the Cardinals lost in the 10th.

With one out and a runner on third, Jim Wohlford hit a short fly to right. Right fielder Andy Van Slyke, who has one of the best throwing arms among baseball’s outfielders, made a wide throw home as Tim Wallach raced to the plate with the winning run.