National League Roundup : Zane Smith Pitches Braves to 3-1 Victory Over Mets

Trades and arm troubles are two subjects discussed at length when the name Zane Smith is mentioned.

The Atlanta Braves’ left-hander, however, tries not to let either subject bother him.

Smith proved that Monday night at New York by scattering nine hits in a 3-1 complete-game victory over the Mets, snapping their 5-game winning streak.

New York Yankees General Manager Lou Piniella was at the game to watch Smith. The Toronto Blue Jays are also interested.

“There’s nothing I can do about trades,” said Smith (2-3). “I’ve been hearing trade talk for two years, and now it seems to be Toronto and the Yankees.”

The victory was Atlanta’s fifth in 21 games.

Met starter Ron Darling (2-2) worked 7 innings. He gave up 5 hits, 3 runs, walked 1 and struck out three.

The game was delayed for nearly an hour at the start by rain and was played during intermittent rain.

Philadelphia 7, Houston 1--Kevin Gross pitched a 5-hitter, and Mike Schmidt moved into a tie for eighth place on the home run list with his 534th to help the Phillies rout the Astros at Philadelphia.

Schmidt hit a solo homer off reliever Dave Meads to give Philadelphia a 7-1 lead in the seventh. Schmidt’s 534 homers tie Jimmie Foxx for eighth among major league players. Mickey Mantle, with 536, is seventh.

Gross (2-1) struck out seven and walked one in pitching his second complete game of the season and lowering his earned-run average to 1.14. Gross helped himself with two hits and two runs.

Nolan Ryan (2-2), who had a no-hitter for 8 innings against Philadelphia last Wednesday, took the loss. Ryan left after the fourth, having given up 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3.

Philadelphia went ahead, 3-0, in the first inning and added two more runs in the second.

Houston scored a run in the third as Jim Pankovits singled, Ryan walked and Gerald Young singled to load the bases before Billy Hatcher hit a sacrifice fly.

Philadelphia went ahead, 6-1, in the fourth. Gross doubled and scored on Juan Samuel’s single. Samuel was thrown out at the plate by Hatcher on a Schmidt single to left field to end the inning.

Chicago 5, San Diego 2--Andre Dawson and Ryne Sandberg each hit a home run as the Cubs used a 15-hit attack to beat the Padres at San Diego.

Starter Jamie Moyer (2-2) went 6 innings, scattered 7 hits, allowed 2 runs, walked 6 and struck out 4.

Dawson’s homer, his seventh of the year, came in the first inning off Jimmy Jones (2-3) with one on and one out to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.

John Kruk and Keith Moreland delivered run-scoring singles to enable the Padres to tie the score, 2-2, in the first.

The Cubs went ahead, 4-2, in the fourth. Rafael Palmeiro opened with a single and scored on Jody Davis’ double. Rookie Mark Grace, called up earlier in the day from triple A, singled to put runners on second and third. Vance Law hit a sacrifice fly.

Sandberg led off the seventh with his fourth homer for the final Cub run.

St. Louis 5, San Francisco 1--Jose DeLeon and two relievers teamed on a 5-hitter to lead the Cardinals to the victory at San Francisco.

DeLeon (2-2) struck out 10 over 6 innings to dominate the first meeting this year between the 1987 National League playoff opponents. DeLeon, a 27-year-old right-hander acquired from the Chicago White Sox in February, allowed five hits and three walks.

Steve Peters retired the only two batters he faced in the seventh inning, and Todd Worrell pitched 2 hitless innings to earn his league-leading seventh save.

San Francisco starter Dave Dravecky (2-2) struggled through two innings and took the loss. Dravecky, who held the Cardinals to 1 run in 15 innings in last year’s playoffs, yielded four runs--all unearned--in the second inning.

Bob Horner opened the second with a single, and third baseman Kevin Mitchell’s error allowed Terry Pendleton to reach base. Tom Brunansky walked to load the bases.

Tony Pena grounded back to Dravecky, who fired wildly past home plate to permit Horner and Pendleton to score and give St. Louis a 2-0 lead. Sacrifice flies by Luis Alicea and Vince Coleman made the score 4-0.

San Francisco collected a 2-out run in the third when Brett Butler tripled and Mitchell singled to bring the Giants within 4-1.

Willie McGee beat out an infield single to start the St. Louis seventh. McGee stole second and scored on Horner’s double to make it 5-1.