National League Roundup : Johnson Plays His Knight and Mets Win

The New York Mets are breezing to the pennant in the National League East with just three full-time players--first baseman Keith Hernandez, right fielder Darryl Strawberry and catcher Gary Carter.

At all the other positions, Manager Davey Johnson has turned platooning into a fine art with his masterful maneuvering of players.

Ray Knight is trying to persuade his manager that he should be a regular. Knight, a right-handed hitter, divides third-base duties with Howard Johnson, a left-handed hitter.

At least, the Mets no longer send in a pinch-hitter for Knight in clutch situations.

With the bases loaded in the ninth inning Saturday in a 2-2 game at Chicago, Knight, batting against right-handed reliever Lee Smith, singled to drive in two runs and give the Mets a 5-2 victory over the Cubs.

The hit gave the victory to relief pitcher Roger McDowell, who became the first pitcher in Met history to win his first seven decisions in a season. McDowell pitched two scoreless innings.

“Earlier in the season,” Knight said, “Davey would send in a left-handed hitter for me in those situations. But, I get pumped up in those situations and I finally convinced him. Next, I would like to convince him that I should play all the time. I’ve been over .300 all season.”

Carter and Strawberry singled off Ray Fontenot in the ninth, and George Foster greeted Smith with a bloop single to load the bases. Knight followed with a sharply hit ground ball to left.

“All year he (Knight) has been our most consistent player,” Johnson said. “In this situation, Howard (Johnson) is going to hit for Rafael Santana.

“We are not going to stop platooning. We have been doing it at five positions and it has really worked out well. You have to wonder how we can be so successful doing it, but it has been a key to our success.”

Davey Lopes was the Cubs’ big offensive threat. He got an infield hit in the first inning and eventually scored the first run, the 1,000th of his career. In the third he hit his fifth homer to tie the game, 2-2.

San Francisco 5, Cincinnati 1--Former Dodger Candy Maldonado is one of the reasons for the rejuvenation of the Giants. As a pinch-hitter Maldonado has been sensational.

In this game at Cincinnati, Maldonado, hitting .409 in the pinch, singled with the bases loaded in the ninth to break a 1-1 tie. Rookie Luis Quinones followed with a three-run triple and the Giants held their lead in the West.

Frank Williams, recently brought back from Phoenix, pitched two hitless innings of relief to gain his first victory.

Mike Krukow, seeking his 10th victory, held the Reds to five hits, one of them Eric Davis’s ninth home run, in seven innings. But when rain delayed play for 40 minutes in the top of the eighth, Krukow did not return to the mound.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2--Hubie Brooks hit his 14th home run and Jeff Reardon was brilliant in relief again in this game at Pittsburgh.

The home run broke Brooks’ own club record for most home runs by a shortstop.

In picking up his 18th save, Reardon retired all eight batters he faced, two on strikes. Joe Hesketh pitched only five innings but won for the sixth time in seven divisions.

Atlanta 5, San Diego 3--LaMarr Hoyt, seeking his third win of the season, gave up just a run and five hits through six innings at Atlanta and departed with a 2-1 lead.

But the Braves jumped on reliever Lance McCullers for three runs in the seventh to win it. Pinch-hitter Terry Harper singled home the go-ahead run with two out.

Harper batted for Zane Smith, who held the Padres to five hits and only one earned run in seven innings.

Philadelphia 7, St. Louis 4--When the Cardinals, in a 4-4 game, failed to score in the bottom of the ninth at St. Louis after loading the bases with nobody out, they were forced into their 17th extra-inning game this season.

Ron Roenicke hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the 10th to give the Phillies the lead, and first baseman Andy Van Slyke’s error let in two more runs. The Cardinals are 7-10 in extra-inning games.