National League Roundup : Expos Are Right Foe on the Right Day for Sutcliffe and the Cubs

Rick Sutcliffe says it’s just luck that he has already won more games this season than he did in the previous two years combined.

Sutcliffe became the National League’s first 15-game winner Tuesday at Chicago when he pitched a strong seven innings in the Cubs’ 8-3 victory over the Montreal Expos.

The 6-foot 6-inch right-hander was 8-8 for the Cubs in 1985 and fell to 5-14 last season when he had arm problems.

“I’ve been pitching on the right day this year,” Sutcliffe, who won the Cy Young Award with a 16-1 record in 1984, told United Press International. “There are a lot of things you can’t control. It seems my teammates always get me the runs when I need them.

“I know one thing. I tried just as hard last year as I have this year and cared just as much.

“This wasn’t a pretty win. It seemed every time we got a run I gave it back. It was a good thing the guys made some plays behind me.

It was certainly the right day to face the Expos. Going into Chicago, the Expos were on a roll. They had won 11 of their last 14 and had cut into the St. Louis Cardinals’ lead in the East.

But the Expos weren’t at their best in this one. Catcher Jeff Reed made three errors in one inning, and Mitch Webster took the Expos out of a big rally in the fifth inning.

Reed’s errors came in the seventh when the Cubs broke a 3-3 tie. Andre Dawson’s run-scoring single broke the tie, but Reed’s wild throws contributed. The Cubs broke it open in the eighth when Leon Durham hit a three-run home run.

Sutcliffe (15-4) gave up eight hits and three runs, two of them earned, before Lee Smith came on to pick up his 25th save.

Sutcliffe is 5-0 in July. The Cubs have scored 36 runs in those five games.

“I would be enjoying my success much more, if we were closer to first place,” Sutcliffe said. “There’s not much enjoyment when you’re 10 games behind.”

New York 6, St. Louis 4--A two-base error by left fielder Vince Coleman set up the winning rally in the eighth inning at St. Louis and the Mets are one-third of the way to their immediate goal--a sweep of the three-game series.

Coleman dropped Lee Mazzilli’s fly and Tim Teufel followed with a two-run single that brought the Mets from behind.

It was the fifth loss in a row for the Cardinals, who still lead the East by six games, but now are only 7 1/2 ahead of the Mets. Todd Worrell, who had been a hot relief pitcher until losing at San Francisco Sunday, was again the loser.

It may have been a costly loss for the Cardinals. Shortstop Ozzie Smith, who tripled to highlight the Cardinals’ four-run fourth, was hurt sliding home trying to score on Tom Herr’s grounder. He finally left the game in the eighth because his ankle was hurting.

Cincinnati 8, San Diego 7--The Reds, after hearing criticism by Manager Pete Rose and General Manager Bill Bergesch, didn’t play any better in their return to Cincinnati.

Fortunately, they were playing the Padres. After the Padres rallied to score three runs in the top of the ninth off reliever John Franco to tie, they gave the game back in the bottom of the ninth.

Rich Gossage walked rookie Lloyd McClendon on a 3-and-2 pitch with two out and the bases loaded to end it.

“It’s pretty easy to take a 3-and-2 pitch when the ball is right up under your chin,” McClendon said.

Atlanta 6, Houston 1--Zane Smith pitched a seven-hitter at Atlanta, outpitching Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott in the process.

Scott (11-7) gave up nine hits and five runs in four innings.

Smith (9-6) let veteran catcher Ted Simmons call every pitch. Simmons has moved ahead of All-Star catcher Ozzie Virgil, who is in a slump. Virgil is batting only .215, .208 with runners on base.

Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 2--Shane Rawley pitched a five-hitter at Pittsburgh to win his fifth in a row and improve his record to 13-5.

Von Hayes led the Phillies’ assault on Rick Reuschel (8-5) with a two-run home run. Reuschel had pitched shutouts in three of his five previous starts, but he gave up all the Phillies’ runs and seven hits in five innings.