NL EAST : Magrane, Mathews Shut Out Montreal

Joe Magrane and Greg Mathews, a couple of young left-handers getting their first taste of pennant-race pressure, pitched the light-hitting St. Louis Cardinals within range of the title in the National League East Tuesday night.

Magrane pitched a three-hitter to beat the Montreal Expos, 1-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at St. Louis, and Mathews combined with Todd Worrell on a four-hitter as the Cardinals won the nightcap, 3-0, to all but eliminate the Expos.

With Don Carman pitching a one-hitter to beat the New York Mets, the Cardinals, with five games remaining, lead the Mets by 3 1/2 and the Expos by 5 games.

The Cardinals managed only six hits in the two games against a team that had hammered them all season. The Expos went into the doubleheader with a 10-4 advantage for the season and a 4-1 edge in St. Louis.

The Cardinals did not score a run in either game with a hit. In the opener, Tommy Herr’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning scored Vince Coleman with the only run against Dennis Martinez (11-4).

The Cardinals scored all three runs in the sixth inning of the second game off Bryn Smith, who had a no-hitter for five innings.

But Tony Pena, breaking a 1-for-23 slump, blooped a double to shallow right to start the winning rally. Pena was safe at third when second baseman Candy Candaele fielded Mathews’ grounder and threw late to third. With the infield playing in, Coleman grounded to Candaele and Pena beat the throw home. Ozzie Smith then beat out a bunt to load the bases.

Herr’s sacrifice fly brought home another run. Then Coleman and Smith executed a double steal, and Willie McGee’s sacrifice fly sent in the final run. Three sacrifice flies and a fielder’s choice accounted for all the runs in the doubleheader.

“Sometimes that’s the way we have to do it,” Herr said. “Our pitching and our defense were outstanding and we pushed across just enough runs to win.”

Added third baseman Terry Pendleton, who made several fine plays: “That’s our game, speed, defense and pitching.”

The Cardinals signed veteran Doug DeCinces, released by the Angels last week, just before the game. With first baseman Jack Clark probably out for the rest of the regular season, the Cardinals figure DeCinces can help at first base against left-handers. They didn’t need him in the doubleheader.

Before the doubleheader, which attracted 48,142 fans and virtually assured the Cardinals of drawing 3 million this season, Manager Whitey Herzog said he couldn’t ask for a better situation than to have Magrane, 23, and Mathews, 24, pitching the big games.

Magrane, a 6-foot 6-inch rookie from the University of Arizona, was in his first minor league season when the Cardinals were in the World Series in 1985. Mathews, from Cal State Fullerton, was 11-8 for the Cardinals as a rookie last season when they never got into the race. He was off to such a poor start this year that they sent him back to the minors for a month.

In the opener, the Cardinals made three errors that got Magrane (9-7) into trouble, but he showed the poise of a veteran and worked out of each problem. A defensive gem by Pendleton saved him with two on in the sixth.

Mathews, who had given up only one earned run in 15 innings in losing two in a row, entered the game with a 10.50 ERA against the Expos this season. He held them to one hit until Tim Raines and Mitch Webster opened the seventh with singles.

Worrell was summoned and got Hubie Brooks to foul out, then struck out Tim Wallach and Andres Galarraga. He gave up one hit in the last two innings and earned his 33rd save.

Philadelphia 3, New York 0--The speed of Mookie Wilson beat Don Carman (13-11) out of his perfect game at Philadelphia.

Wilson bounced a grounder through the box to open the fourth, and shortstop Steve Jeltz fielded it behind second. Wilson just beat the throw to first. He was the only Met to reach base. Carman, who struck out five, retired the last 18 in order.

“That’s the best ballgame that’s been pitched against us in a long time,” Manager Davey Johnson of the Mets said. “If he had pitched like that all year, the Phillies would be fighting for the pennant.”

Without knowing that the Cardinals had swept to pull in front by 3 1/2 with the Mets down to their last four games, Johnson said he didn’t think the loss killed the Mets’ hopes.

“For obvious reasons, everybody is rooting for the Cardinals, and I am, too,” Carman said. “It was only the fourth inning, so I wasn’t thinking no-hitter. All I wanted to do was win. I don’t like their (the Mets’) approach, the high-fiving when they’re ahead, 5-0.

Mike Schmidt drove in two runs for the Phillies to bring his RBI total to 111. His infield out in the first inning scored the only run Carman needed.

The Mets, who beat the Phillies, 1-0, Monday night while getting just five hits, recently took over as the top hitting and run-scoring team in the league.

Johnson brought Sid Fernandez, normally a starter, out of the bullpen to replace David Cone (5-6) in the fourth. He pitched two innings, giving up the final run in the fourth on Darren Daulton’s opposite-field double.

The Mets conclude play with the Phillies tonight and will send out their ace, Dwight Gooden to try to keep their title hopes alive.