National League Roundup : Except for a Sore Elbow, Ryan Is His Old Self

Nolan Ryan has a tender elbow. National League hitters wish the arm that has thrown the fastest pitches in baseball for 19 seasons would finally just fall off.

Instead, as long as he can stand the pain, Ryan, at 39, is just about as effective as he ever was. He is also playing a prominent role in the Houston Astros’ drive to win the West.

In five innings Sunday at Philadelphia, the all-time strikeout king fanned 10 Phillies, gave up just two hits and, with the help of Aurelio Lopez, pitched the Astros to a 3-2 victory. The Astros lead the West by 3 1/2 games. Lopez pitched four hitless innings for his fourth save.

Except possibly for the fabulous Cy Young, Ryan has thrown more pitches than any pitcher in baseball history--and most of them at speeds of more than 95 m.p.h. It just doesn’t seem possible anyone could keep up that pace for so many seasons. Undoubtedly, the strain is showing.

There have been times when leg muscle problems have sidelined Ryan but, until this season, his arm has been sound. The elbow became a problem and from May 20 until June 29, he pitched only one inning.

Since coming back, he has pitched brilliantly, though tenderly.

“It’s a matter of how many pitches I can throw,” Ryan told the Associated Press. “I haven’t been sound all year. Some days I can throw longer than others.

“If I’m able to take my next turn, I will, but it felt a little worse today than the last time I pitched.”

The elbow may be tender, but it doesn’t make it any easier on the hitters. In his last two starts, Ryan has pitched 14 innings and struck out 24 batters. In fact, since coming off the disabled list, he has been sensational.

Except for one bad inning against the New York Mets on July 17 after he pitched six scoreless innings, he has been almost unhittable. He has pitched 44 innings and given up only 22 hits and 7 earned runs while striking out 62 and walking only 18.

“Hopefully, it’s just a little tender,” said Manager Hal Lanier of the Astros. “We’ve been keeping track of the pitches. He’s been throwing the ball extremely well.”

Ryan has struck out 4,209 batters in 4,053 innings during his career. This season it is 126 in 116 innings.

Billy Hatcher’s double keyed a two-run third that gave Ryan (7-7) the win.

Pittsburgh 7, San Francisco 0--There were almost as many scouts as fans on hand at Pittsburgh to watch Rick Rhoden go 6 innings to improve his record to 10-6.

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, among others, have been scouting the former Dodger right-hander. With each outing, though, the price has been going up.

The Giants were watching Rhoden closely, too. They contend he scuffs up the baseball.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the league, and I can understand why he is wanted,” Manager Roger Craig of the Giants said. “But, I believe the league has warned him. He cuts the ball with a small piece of sandpaper glued to his glove. We caught him once, but he stuffed the sandpaper in his uniform and the umpires can’t search him.”

Bob Brenly was the big complainer among the Giants, bringing this answer from Rhoden: “If he had three hits he wouldn’t say anything. When I lose there’s never a complaint.”

Another former Dodger, Sid Bream, drove in four runs as the Pirates ended a five-game losing streak.

Cincinnati 9, Montreal 7--Floyd Youmans held the Reds to four hits and two runs in six innings on a hot afternoon at Cincinnati and departed with a 7-2 lead.

Instead of his 11th victory, Youmans wound up with a no-decision because the bullpen was shelled for seven runs in the seventh and eighth. Eric Davis hit a two-out single with the bases loaded in the eighth to cap the comeback.

The Expos traded left-hander Dan Schatzeder to Philadelphia to get shortstop Tom Foley earlier in the week and the bullpen has blown two games in a row without him.

New York 5, Atlanta 1--Gary Carter’s three-run home run in the third inning at Atlanta was really all Rick Aguilera needed to improve his record to 4-3. But, three pitches later, Darryl Strawberry hit a home run, and five pitches after that Kevin Mitchell made it three in a row for the second time in Mets’ history.

That was the extent of the Mets’ attack, but it was enough to enable New York to increase its lead in the East to 15 1/2 games.

Aguilera, in winning his second in a row, gave up eight hits. He lost his shutout in the fifth when Andres Thomas singled in the only run.

St. Louis 3, San Diego 2--With the Cardinals’ two big hitters, Willie McGee and Jack Clark, injured, it is fortunate that highly rated Andy Van Slyke is finally living up to his promise.

Van Slyke singled with the bases loaded in the seventh to drive in the decisive runs that handed the Padres their eighth loss in the last nine games.

Early in the season, when he was mentioned in trade rumors, Van Slyke lost a regular job when he was hitting below .200. He has hit in 10 of the last 11 games and driven in nine runs.