National League Roundup : Mets Get Message, Beat Reds, 3-2

Manager Davey Johnson of the New York Mets is going to have to hold more meetings.

Every time the manager of the 1986 World Series champions holds a meeting, the Mets respond with a victory.

Following a 20-minute session Wednesday at Shea Stadium, the Mets, with rookie Dave Magadan leading the offense, beat the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, to end a three-game losing streak.

A couple of weeks ago, Johnson blistered his players for a lackadaisical performance against Pittsburgh, and they responded by beating the Pirates twice in a row.

This meeting, Johnson said, was not out of anger. “I’m not going into details about it,” he said. “There are some little things we can do in our preparation and stuff, and I voiced the things that can help us all do better.”

Even with the victory, the Mets are far behind last year’s pace, when they romped to the title in the East. They are 13-12. After 25 games last season, they were 20-5.

“It was the kind of meeting where I talked about the things that irritate you when you’re not winning,” Johnson told UPI. “When you’re winning, you don’t have as good hearing, as good eyesight, and your memory is short. But when you’re not playing up to your ability, your eyesight and hearing are keen, and your memory is sharp.”

Rick Aguilera (3-1) was sharp on all counts. A year ago, Aguilera was just about the only Met pitcher struggling. Now he is a stalwart member of the depleted staff.

Aguilera went 8 innings and gave up 8 hits, but he struck out 9 and held Eric Davis, the league’s leading hitter, hitless.

Magadan went 3 for 3, scored a run and singled in the go-ahead run in the second inning. The Mets had been shut out twice in a row before scoring a run in the first inning on two singles and an infield out.

Houston 3, Philadelphia 2--Pinch-hitter Terry Puhl singled home Jose Cruz from second base with two out in the top of the ninth at Philadelphia to break a 2-2 tie.

Nolan Ryan gave the Astros another good outing but had nothing to show for it. The 40-year-old pitcher struck out 7 and gave up only 4 hits in 6 innings but left with the score tied.

Larry Andersen pitched two scoreless innings for the victory, and bullpen ace Dave Smith struck out two of the three batters he faced to earn his sixth save.

In his last 4 starts, Ryan has pitched 25 innings, given up just 12 hits and 4 runs and struck out 28, but he has only a 1-1 record.

Montreal 6, Atlanta 2--It was almost a moral victory for the Braves at Atlanta. They held Tim Raines to a pair of singles, but Vance Law hit a home run, and the Expos won for the fourth time in the five games Raines has played.

Bryn Smith (1-0), in just his second start after undergoing elbow surgery in November, pitched 5 innings, giving up 4 hits and striking out 5. Three relievers shut out the Braves in the last four innings.

Raines drove in a run with a single in the third, and the two hits raised his average to .450.

“I don’t call my start amazing,” Raines said. “I led the league in hitting last year. I’m a lifetime .300 hitter, so I can’t say it’s amazing. It’s just that I got myself ready to play.”

St. Louis 3, San Diego 0--Joe Magrane, one of those pitchers with a can’t-miss tag, pitched a four-hitter, didn’t walk a batter and struck out three at San Diego.

It was the third start for Magrane (2-0), who replaced injured John Tudor in the Cardinals’ rotation.

Chicago 9, San Francisco 4--Jody Davis hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the Cubs beat the Giants at San Francisco for their ninth victory in 11 games.

Scott Sanderson (2-0) allowed 7 hits in 7-plus innings, including two homers by Candy Maldonado and one by Bob Melvin.

Before the game, the Giants put third baseman Chris Brown on the 21-day disabled list with a broken jaw and purchased the contract of ex-Angel infielder Rob Wilfong from Phoenix of the Pacific Coast League.