National League Roundup : Now, the Mets Can Win It at Home

Although they certainly didn’t plan it that way, the New York Mets now get a chance to win the National League East title before their home fans.

The Mets left New York last Wednesday confident that they would wrap up their first division title in 13 years on a five-game trip. It didn’t quite happen that way, but the Mets finally snapped a four-game losing streak Tuesday night and clinched at least a tie for the division crown by beating the Cardinals, 4-2, at St. Louis.

Ray Knight drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to spark the Mets and help them reduce their magic number to one. The pennant-clinching victory can come tonight at Shea Stadium against the Chicago Cubs.

“The fans of New York have waited 13 years, they should be able to see it,” Met Manager Davey Johnson said.

Johnson had praise for the performance of the Cardinals, last season’s National League champion.

“They played hard, like it was the seventh game of the World Series,” he said.

The Mets sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead and chase St. Louis starter Tim Conroy.

With one out, Conroy walked Mookie Wilson and Kevin Mitchell. Keith Hernandez grounded out to first and advance the runners. Conroy intentionally walked Gary Carter, who had three hits. A wild pitch scored Wilson and broke the Mets’ 25-inning scoreless string. After Conroy walked Darryl Strawberry, Joe Boever relieved. Knight greeted Boever with a two-run single to center field.

Conroy (4-9) pitched just 2 innings, allowing only one hit but walking five to go along with a run-scoring wild pitch. Conroy has won just once in his last 12 starts.

New York starter Rick Aguilera (8-6) pitched 6 innings before giving way to Jesse Orosco, who retired the last seven batters to earn his 18th save. Aguilera, who was 0-3 against St. Louis, gave up eight hits. He struck out six and walked three.

Houston 6, Cincinnati 1--A combined four-hitter by Bob Knepper and Larry Andersen was enough to beat the Reds at Cincinnati as the Astros increased their lead to eight games in the National League West with 18 games remaining.

Knepper (16-11) allowed just three hits but walked seven in 5 innings. Andersen, who got his first save, pitched out of a two-on, one-out threat in the sixth and allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three over the final 3 innings.

Glenn Davis drove in two runs, and Billy Hatcher hit a tiebreaking homer to lead a 12-hit attack. Houston has won 12 of its 16 games with the Reds this season. The Astros squeezed three runs out of seven hits off starter Bill Gullickson (13-11), who suffered his third consecutive loss.

Pete Rose, the Reds’ player-manager, virtually conceded the race to the Astros before the game.

“If I was seven in front with 19 games left, I wouldn’t be nervous going into the game,” Rose said. “I would be nervous about not being able to get enough playoff tickets.”

Philadelphia 9, Pittsburgh 5--Glenn Wilson had four hits and drove in two runs, and reliever Kent Tekulve broke the National League career record for appearances as the Phillies scored their fifth straight victory by beating the Pirates at Philadelphia.

Tekulve, appearing in his 847th game to break a tie with Elroy Face of Pittsburgh, improved his record to 11-4 with 2 hitless innings.

Pittsburgh Manager Jim Leyland was upset with his team’s showing and held a closed-door clubhouse meeting after the game.

“I’m getting tired of people telling me how good they are and not showing it on the field,” he said. “People complain about not playing, but when they get a chance they don’t do anything.”

Montreal 4, Chicago 1--Andres Galarraga hit a three-run double to back the four-hit pitching of Jay Tibbs, who won for the first time since Aug. 4, as the Expos defeated the Cubs at Montreal.

Tibbs (7-8) struck out four and walked three in pitching his third complete game. The loser was Rick Sutcliffe (4-14), who has not won since June 2. Sutcliffe allowed only four hits in six innings, struck out nine and walked four.

San Francisco 4, San Diego 1--Mike Krukow pitched into the ninth inning to become the first Giant since 1978 to win 17 games in a season as the Giants defeated the Padres at San Diego.

Krukow (17-8) gave up nine hits, struck out nine and walked one. He had a shutout until the ninth, when pinch-hitters Marvell Wynne and Terry Kennedy hit consecutive doubles.