National League Roundup : Giants Get Early Start Against Fernandez, Finish Off Mets, 9-1

Maybe there was a method to his madness last week when Manager Roger Craig of the San Francisco Giants predicted that his team would be playing the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series in October.

If his plan was to stir up the St. Louis Cardinals, a team the Giants have manhandled this season, it succeeded. The Cardinals are playing the way they did earlier in the season when they appeared to be the best team in baseball.

The Giants took advantage of an ailing pitcher, Sid Fernandez, in a five-run first inning Saturday at San Francisco and went on to beat the Mets, 9-1.

It was only San Francisco’s third victory in 11 games with the Mets this season, but it enabled the Giants to increase their lead in the West to 3 1/2 games. With the Cardinals winning their fourth in a row, the Mets dropped 5 1/2 games back in the East.

Fernandez, in his second start since coming back from tendinitis in his left shoulder, made only six pitches. Two were turned into hits, and Fernandez (10-8) had to leave because his shoulder was sore.

Terry Leach replaced Fernandez, and before he settled down, the Giants had five runs. The big hit was a two-run pinch single by Will Clark, who was going to sit out the game because Fernandez was pitching.

Atlee Hammaker (9-9) held the Mets to five hits in seven innings. Kelly Downs lost the shutout in the ninth, but he struck out Keith Hernandez in the eighth, ending Hernandez’s hitting streak at 17 games.

Candy Maldonado, who drove in the first run for the Giants with a sacrifice fly, tied a major league record with three sacrifice flies. Former Met Kevin Mitchell scored three runs.

Craig made his remarks after the Giants had lost two of three to the Mets at New York. Those losses left the Giants tied for first in the West and put the Mets only 2 1/2 games behind the Cardinals.

But while the Giants have pulled into a lead in the West, the Mets, by scoring only seven runs in the last five games, have fallen back.

Met Manager Davey Johnson knew his team was in trouble when the Giants opened with two hits off Fernandez.

“When the hitters come out and pull Sid right out of the chute, you’re worried,” Johnson said. “When I asked him if it hurt, he said, ‘Yeah, it’s bothering me.”’

St. Louis 4, Atlanta 2--The Cardinals are giving Manager Whitey Herzog even more gray hair, despite having won seven of their last eight games.

This one in St. Louis ended when left fielder Vince Coleman made a diving catch of Ted Simmons’ bases-loaded fly ball.

“It’s a thrill a minute,” Herzog said. “We just can’t win one easily.”

Coleman also played a big role in the first inning, when the Cardinals scored all of their runs. Coleman singled and stole second. After Terry Pendleton walked, they worked a double steal. Jack Clark was given a semi-intentional walk, and Willie McGee doubled home two runs. Rookie Lance Johnson singled in two more runs. The Cardinals managed only two hits the rest of the game.

“They keep walking Jack, and at times, Willie makes them pay,” Herzog said.

Joe Magrane (7-6) pitched 6 innings and ended a four-game losing streak. But before it was a victory, Bob Forsch, Ken Dayley and Todd Worrell also appeared.

Pittsburgh 8, Houston 2--Although they have managed to divest themselves of most of their high-salaried players, the Pirates are actually playing better than they did a year ago.

With Andy Van Slyke hitting a grand slam and Mike Bielecki pitching a six-hitter at Pittsburgh, the Pirates won their fifth in a row and dropped the Astros 3 1/2 games behind San Francisco in the West. The Pirates (58-71) have won six more games than they had at this stage last year.

It was another tough loss for Nolan Ryan (5-14). He struck out seven and gave up only four hits, but the Astros, trailing, 2-0, had to bat for him in the sixth.

One of the hits off Ryan was Mike LaValliere’s first major league home run in his 284th at-bat.

Cincinnati 4, Chicago 1--Tom Browning, probably the biggest disappointment on the Reds’ pitching staff this year, turned in a sharp performance at Cincinnati to end the Reds’ seven-game losing streak.

Browning (6-11) gave up only five hits. He was supported by home runs by Paul O’Neill and Eric Davis.

“It’s a relief,” Manager Pete Rose said. It’s terrible to lose seven games in a row. But we still have an excellent chance to win the pennant.”

San Diego 3, Philadelphia 1--Rookie Eric Nolte (2-2) pitched a four-hitter at San Diego for his first complete game, and Marvell Wynne’s pinch single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning helped the Padres end a three-game losing streak.

Nolte, who was recently called up from the minors, struck out seven, including Von Hayes and Lance Parrish to end the game.