National League Roundup : Expos Snap Mets’ Win Streak, 4-2

Joe Hesketh struck out 11 batters in 8 innings Tuesday night at Montreal to pitch the Expos to a 4-2 victory and end the New York Mets’ latest winning streak at seven games.

Even with the fine performance by the 26-year-old left-hander, the Expos trail the Mets by 10 1/2 games in the East.

Hesketh has been a big disappointment this season.

Until he made the mistake of banging into Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia in August, which ended his season with a broken leg, Hesketh was having a tremendous rookie year. He missed eight starts after compiling a 10-5 record and an earned-run average of 2.49.

There were high hopes he would pick up this season where he left off. Instead, he came into this game with a 7.14 ERA and a 3-4 record. He had been removed from the rotation because in his previous two starts, he lasted four innings and gave up 14 hits and 10 runs.

In desperation after using 12 pitchers in three games, Manager Bob Rodgers turned to Hesketh.

Although he gave up eight hits, he didn’t walk a batter. He gave way to Tim Burke in the ninth after he struck out Darryl Strawberry after a single by Gary Carter. Burke got George Foster to hit into a game-ending double play.

“That’s the best Joe has pitched this year,” catcher Mike Fitzgerald said. “He had everything working for him tonight. He again had first-inning trouble, but after that he was really tough.”

Bruce Berenyi (2-1) contributed to his own downfall. With the score tied, 2-2, in the fourth, he walked Fitzgerald to force in what proved to be the winning run.

The victory pulled the Expos up to .500 (14-14) at home. They are the only team with a winning record that is not above .500 at home.

After the Expos lost Monday night in the 10th inning, Rodgers was beginning to think his club was jinxed in its own park. “We’re having trouble drawing crowds and the Mets come in and we get rain,” Rodgers said. “Just when things looked the worst, Joe came through. It was a big win for us.”

Cincinnati 5, Houston 4--Chris Welsh is not only making a comeback as a pitcher, he still can help his cause with his bat.

In winning his first game ever at Riverfront Stadium, the Cincinnati native singled in two runs in the sixth inning and improved his record to 2-1.

A lifetime .200 hitter, Welsh, once a highly regarded prospect with the San Diego Padres, was 0 for 5 for the season when rookie Manny Hernandez tried to slip a fastball past him with runners on second and third and the Reds leading, 5-4.

Welsh, 31, was 8-8 in 1982 with the Padres in his second season. He had won only two more major league games since 1982 until the Reds gave him a chance.

He had gone 17 innings without issuing a walk until Mark Bailey drew a pass in the second inning. Welsh needed help from Ted Power and John Franco to gain the victory.

San Diego 8, San Francisco 5--Steve Garvey opened the bottom of the eighth in a 5-5 game at San Diego with a surprise bunt. Graig Nettles followed with a home run to climax a comeback.

Going into the sixth, Mike Krukow was breezing along with a 5-1 lead. However, Garvey had a run-scoring single and later scored in the four-run rally that tied the game.

Krukow doubled in a run in the sixth and scored the Giants’ final run on an infield hit and a wild throw by third baseman Nettles.

Philadelphia 11, Chicago 8--Greg Gross, after collecting his 101st pinch-hit to drive in a run in the six-run eighth inning at Chicago, figures he has a chance to break Manny Mota’s career record.

Mota, a Dodger coach, had 150 hits as a pinch-hitter. Gross, 33, has six this season and figures he needs eight to 10 per year to do it.

“If I can continue to produce and can stay healthy, I feel I have six or seven years left,” Gross said. “If I don’t stay with this club, I’m sure I can help someone else.”

Mike Schmidt started the big inning for the Phillies with an infield single and climaxed it with a two-run single.

St. Louis 7, Pittsburgh 2--The Cardinals don’t hit many home runs, but when they do, they usually win. In this game at Pittsburgh, Clint Hurdle hit a three-run home run and Jack Clark hit a solo blast.

They made it easy for rookie Greg Mathews to improve his record to 3-1. Mathews gave up five hits and pitched his first complete game.

Hurdle’s three-run home run was the big hit in the seventh inning when the Cardinals broke a 2-2 tie with a four-run outburst off Rick Reuschel (4-6).