National League Roundup : Sutcliffe Beats Mets as Darling Falls to 2-5

Ron Darling of the Mets and Rick Sutcliffe of the Cubs played “Trading Places” again at New York, with Darling seeing and feeling the role reversal.

Last season, Darling finished 15-6, compared to a worst-ever 5-14 for Sutcliffe, the former Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers and 1984 Cy Young Award winner. This season, it has been a comeback for Sutcliffe and comedown for Darling, a trend that continued in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-1 win Tuesday night.

Sutcliffe allowed only four hits in 8 innings, including one stretch where he retired 16 straight batters after the third inning, to improve his record to 10-3. Darling, 2-5 and winless since April 22, has a streak of his own, though much more negative: Five consecutive losses, a career high.

“Last year, I said, ‘How could Sutcliffe and (Bret) Saberhagen pitch so lousy?’ ” Darling said.

“I never thought I’d ever have a streak like this. It’s very humbling, but three of my last four starts were good. I’ll win another game before I retire.”

Said Sutcliffe, who missed more than a month of the 1986 season with tendinitis in his right shoulder: “I really feel my fastball is coming back. My arm seems to be getting stronger.

“I’m not quite there yet, but I’m getting closer.”

The Cubs got their runs from two unlikely sources, rookies Paul Noce and Mike Brumley, who are filling in for injured second baseman Ryne Sandberg and shortstop Shawon Dunston, respectively. Noce and Brumley each had one major league career RBI until the fifth inning, when Noce hit a two-run double and Brumley, the son of the former Washington Senator catcher with the same name, followed with his first big league homer.

After the game, someone retrieved the baseball Brumley hit and gave it to him as a souvenir. Brumley proudly placed it in his locker.

“I’ve seen my dad’s first home run ball sitting in the trophy case at home and I’ve always dreamed about mine,” he said.

Lee Smith relieved Sutcliffe for the final out, a strikeout of Kevin McReynolds, for a major league leading 20th save.

Montreal 8, Pittsburgh 2--Neal Heaton of the Expos, acquired in the trade that sent Jeff Reardon to Minnesota, joined Sutcliffe in becoming the first two pitchers in the league to win 10 games by limiting the Pirates to one run in five innings at Pittsburgh.

Heaton is 10-3 after going 7-15 last season with Minnesota and Cleveland, and he won for the seventh time in his last eight decisions Tuesday. He was forced to leave the game because of a strained right knee, and Andy McGaffigan and Jeff Parrett came in for two innings each, with Parrett getting his first career save.

Reid Nichols and Mike Fitzgerald homered for Montreal in a three-run second. Fitzgerald’s home run was the 17th allowed by Pittsburgh’s Bob Kipper (4-6) in 74 innings this season.

Philadelphia 4, St. Louis 1--The Phillies snapped a six-game losing streak and gave Manager Lee Elia his first victory after taking over for John Felske last Thursday as Shane Rawley pitched a four-hitter over eight innings at St. Louis.

Rawley is 8-4. Steve Bedrosian pitched the ninth inning for his 17th save and a league-record 10th in his last 10 appearances, one short of tying Sparky Lyle’s major league mark.

The Cardinals’ Vince Coleman, who had reached base in 50 straight games, fouled out, grounded out twice and struck out to end the streak.

San Diego 4, Houston 1--Ed Whitson pitched a two-hitter and his second complete game in three starts to lead the Padres, who scored twice in the second inning and twice in the third, at San Diego.

Cincinnati 4, San Francisco 1--Cincinnati’s Ron Robinson allowed four hits in 6 innings for the win while his opponent, Atlee Hammaker, lost for the fourth straight times in the game at San Francisco.

The victory increased the Reds’ lead in the West to 1 1/2 games over Houston.