National League Roundup : Mets Unable to Apply Clincher Against Phillies

The New York Mets, needing only one victory to clinch the National League East Division title, figured to get it Friday night at Philadelphia in the opener of a three-game series with the Phillies.

After all, the Mets’ starting pitcher was Dwight Gooden, who had a 14-5 record and a 2.94 earned-run average. Opposing Gooden was Bruce Ruffin, a 22-year-old rookie.

Well, somebody forgot to tell Ruffin and the second-place Phillies that they were supposed to be the answer to a trivia question: What team did the New York Mets beat when they clinched the division title on Sept. 12, the second-earliest clinching date in National League history? In 1975, the Cincinnati Reds did it on Sept. 7.

Ruffin (8-3), aided by Mike Schmidt’s three-run homer in the fifth inning, which gave him a 5-0 lead, pitched the Phillies to a 6-3 victory. The left-hander yielded seven hits and three runs in seven innings to win his fifth straight game. Steve Bedrosian pitched two-hit ball for the last two innings to earn his 24th save.

The homer by Schmidt was his 35th of the season, tops in the majors, and the 493rd of his career, tying him with Lou Gehrig for 14th place on the all-time list. It also marks the 10th season that Schmidt has hit at least 35 homers. Only Babe Ruth (12), Hank Aaron (11), Jimmie Foxx (10) and Willie Mays (10) have hit 35 or more homers in a season at least that often.

Von Hayes went 4 for 4 and drove in the Phillies’ first run with his 39th double, most in the National League.

The Mets, trying for their first East title in 13 years, have lost five of seven games played in Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium this season. Gooden, hurt by some shoddy defense--the Mets had four errors--lasted just five innings, giving up eight hits and five runs.

“We must have been thinking about the celebration,” Met Manager Davey Johnson said. “There was a lot of anticipation on our part. We just didn’t grind it out. I know that Philadelphia won’t lay down for us. They’d like nothing better than to beat us three in a row.”

Montreal 4, St. Louis 3--Tom Nieto’s two-out single in the 11th inning scored Wayne Krenchicki from third base to lift the Expos past the Cardinals at St. Louis.

The loss eliminated the Cardinals, last year’s National League champions, from the East race.

St. Louis pitcher Bob Forsch hit a three-run homer to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in the second inning. It was his second homer of the season and the 10th of his career.

Houston 5, San Diego 3--Billy Hatcher’s two-run single broke a ninth-inning tie and capped a three-run rally at San Diego as the Astros snapped a two-game losing streak.

With the Astros trailing, 3-2, Kevin Bass led off the inning with a single, and Jose Cruz walked. Alan Ashby’s sacrifice advanced the runners. An intentional walk to Craig Reynolds loaded the bases. Terry Puhl walked, forcing in the first run and setting the stage for Hatcher.

Dave Smith pitched the ninth and gained a club-record 30th save. Fred Gladding had 29 for Houston in 1969.

Chicago 9, Pittsburgh 8--Pinch-hitter Jerry Mumphrey hit a sacrifice fly, and Keith Moreland followed with a run-scoring double in the top of the 10th inning to give the Cubs the victory at Pittsburgh.

San Francisco 11, Atlanta 2--Robbie Thompson’s grand slam in the fourth inning broke a 2-2 tie at San Francisco, and Mike Krukow gained his 16th victory.

Krukow (16-8), who won for the fourth time in his last five starts, allowed six hits in six innings and struck out seven. The loss was the Braves’ sixth straight.