Major League Baseball Roundup : Astros Bounce Back to Bounce Struggling Mets, 11-1

The New York Mets, on their way to the world series championship last fall, didn’t win any friends among their opponents.

They were accused of being arrogant and even downright nasty by some.

It figured that every team would be ready for a strong effort when they play the Mets this season.

The Houston Astros, swept in a three-game weekend series at home by the Cincinnati Reds, recovered in a hurry from their disappointment Monday night at New York.

With hot-hitting Billy Hatcher and Glenn Davis hitting home runs, the Astros crushed the stumbling champions, 11-1.

Jim Deshaies (2-0) held the Mets, who have lost three in a row and dropped to .500, to four hits in seven innings. It was the first meeting of the two teams who battled furiously in the Championship Series last fall.

This wasn’t a contest for long. Rookie David Cone (0-2) started for the Mets. He made it through the first inning but gave up three runs in the second inning without allowing a hit.

In the third inning, Davis hit a two-run home run, and an error allowed two more to score.

Cone, getting a chance to pitch because Bob Ojeda has a tender arm and Dwight Gooden is still in drug rehabilitation, gave up 10 runs in five innings. He allowed seven hits, walked six, balked twice and made two wild pitches.

Met Manager Davey Johnson was ejected when he argued the first balk call on Cone in the third inning.

“I think we have hit rock bottom,” Johnson told United Press International. “This is as far as we can go. To get routed like this may be good for us in the long run.

“I didn’t want to get thrown out, but our pitcher was having a tough time out there and I just wanted to protect him. There were a couple of pitches out there that were wild and a couple of pitches that could have been called strikes.

“About the balks, usually, they give a rookie a warning first.”

The eight earned runs sent the Mets’ earned-run average soaring above 5.00. Last season, they led the league with a 3.11 ERA.

Cone, acquired from the Kansas City Royals, appeared to be bothered by the cold weather (44 degrees), but Deshaies was, too, walking five batters.

San Francisco 7, Atlanta 3--Good hitters, as a rule, do not like to face pitchers who throw off-speed pitches. Kelly Downs is not a good hitter. He likes to bat against off-speed pitches.

Downs (2-0), after going 0 for 9 this season, looped a single off Rick Mahler to drive in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning at Atlanta. It was the first game-winning hit for the young Giants pitcher.

It also left him in a state of shock. After Chili Davis singled in two more runs later in the inning to give Downs a 4-1 cushion, he couldn’t make it through the bottom of the inning.

The Giants turned two more double plays to give them 15 in the four-game series.

Montreal 6, Philadelphia 4--The Phillies literally knocked Neal Heaton out of the game in the ninth inning at Philadelphia, but the left-hander improved his record to 3-1 with another impressive performance.

Heaton went into the final inning with a 6-1 lead and a four-hitter. But Juan Samuel hit a vicious line drive that hit Heaton in the leg and went for a hit. He limped off the field.

“It isn’t serious,” Heaton said. “The ball hit me on the back of the leg. I should have made the play and gotten Samuel at first.”

Tim Burke relieved and gave up a single and Mike Schmidt’s three-run homer. Randy St. Claire came on to get the last two batters.

Andy Gallarraga drove in three runs and Mitch Webster two to help the Expos end a three-game losing streak.

Oakland 5, Boston 2--Curt Young pitched a six-hitter and Jose Canseco had four hits at Oakland to lead the Athletics to victory.

Don Baylor had his 2,000th hit, a single in the seventh inning, and Jim Rice hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, but the Red Sox still lost their fourth in a row.

Canseco raised his average to .309 with three singles and a double. Former USC star Mark McGwire drove in two runs with a pair of doubles.

Young (3-1) struck out five in pitching his second complete game. No other Oakland pitcher has gone the distance.

Seattle 5, Detroit 2--John Christensen singled home Phil Bradley with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning at Seattle.

The Mariners scored two more runs in the inning and enabled Mark Langston to win his third game. Langston gave up six hits in eight innings. Eddie Nunez pitched the ninth to earn his fourth save.