Baseball Roundup : Strawberry Blasts Teammates, Then Helps Them Beat Reds

Darryl Strawberry returned to the New York Mets’ lineup after missing two games against the St. Louis Cardinals with a stomach virus, but he remained sick of suggestions by his teammates that he should have played despite the illness.

“Where would this team be without me?” Strawberry said before Thursday night’s 5-0 win over the Reds at Cincinnati. “So I miss a couple of games. These guys (his teammates) are a bunch of asses. When I’m gone from here, they’ll wonder why I left.”

Terry Leach pitched a two-hitter against the Reds, striking out three and walking two to remain undefeated in seven decisons and record his first complete game of the season.

Ron Oester and Bo Diaz had the Reds’ only hits against the sidearm right-hander.

Leach, who made his fifth start, faced one over the minimum number of batters and allowed no runner past first base in tying the Mets’ record for most victories without a loss at the start of a season, set last year by reliever Roger McDowell.

Strawberry, who has mentioned the possibility of a trade to the Dodgers, went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored.

Lee Mazzilli started the latest furor when he said that Strawberry should have been in the lineup against the first-place Cardinals. Mazzilli said he merely wanted to deliver a message to Strawberry, to tell him how much the team needed him.

Houston 7, Philadelphia 6--Steve Bedrosian yielded a three-run homer to Glenn Davis with two out in the ninth inning, ending Bedrosian’s major league record-setting streak of saves in consecutive appearances and giving the Astros the win at Philadelphia.

Denny Walling opened with a single off Bedrosian (3-2), who had earned saves in his previous 13 appearances. With one out, Bill Doran singled Walling to second. Bedrosian then struck out Kevin Bass. Davis hit the next pitch over the left-field fence for his 15th homer.

Larry Andersen (6-4) struck out the side in the eighth to gain the victory. Dave Smith hurled the ninth for his 15th save.

Kansas City 10, Minnesota 3--Jim Eisenreich hit a three-run homer and drove in a career-high four runs, and Bret Saberhagen won his 14th game as the Royals moved within a half-game of the American League West-leading Twins at Kansas City.

Saberhagen, who has just two losses, gave up 9 hits, struck out 5 and did not walk a batter in gaining his 10th complete game, high for the American League. He is 9-0 at Royals Stadium this year and has won 10 straight at home going back to last year.

Eisenreich’s home run to right-center field, the third homer of his career, came in the fifth inning after Danny Tartabull walked and Frank White singled.

It was Eisenreich’s first home run since April 17, 1982.

Cleveland 2, Chicago 1--Tony Bernazard had four hits, including a run-scoring single in the 11th, as the Indians beat the White Sox at Cleveland.

The victory was only the second in the last 11 games for Cleveland. The loss ended Chicago’s three-game winning streak.

Doug Jones, Cleveland’s fourth pitcher, pitched a perfect 11th inning to earn the victory and even his record at 1-1.

Cory Snyder beat out an infield single against Bob James (2-4) to start the Cleveland 11th and moved to second on Chris Bando’s sacrifice bunt. After Brett Butler flied out for the second out, Bernazard lined the game-winning single down the right field line to score Snyder from second.

Oakland 5, Boston 3--Jose Canseco celebrated his 23rd birthday with a home run, and Joaquin Andujar pitched a six-hitter as the A’s beat the Red Sox at Oakland.

Canseco, who is batting .441 with 4 doubles and 4 homers in his last 8 games, led off the eighth with his 15th home run of the season, snapping a 2-2 tie.

Mark McGwire and Carney Lansford followed with singles to chase starter Al Nipper. Calvin Schiraldi recorded the first out but threw a wild pitch to score McGwire with Oakland’s fourth run. Tony Phillips singled home Lansford to give the A’s a 5-2 lead.

Andujar (3-1), who has been on the disabled list three times this season, recorded his first complete game since Sept. 27, 1986.

Seattle 5, Detroit 2--Lee Guetterman pitched a five-hitter, and Phil Bradley drove in two runs with a double and a homer to lead the Mariners past the Tigers at Seattle.

Guetterman (6-1) lost his shutout in the fourth when Larry Herndon hit a two-run homer. Guetterman walked 2 and struck out 5 in pitching his second complete game.