National League Roundup : Strawberry Delivers as Mets Beat Pirates, 5-2

The New York Mets, mired in their first real slump of the season, prepared to go into the second game of their series with the Pirates Tuesday night at Pittsburgh without their big hitter.

Darryl Strawberry, the one Met having a banner season, went back to New York to be with his wife for the birth of their second child (a daughter, Diamond Nicole).

Strawberry arrived by private jet just in time to lead the Mets to a 5-2 victory over the Pirates. It was only the second win for the Mets in their last six games.

It was tied, 1-1, when Brian Fisher (4-6) walked Wally Backman with one out in the fifth. Strawberry followed with a home run, his 18th. The Mets’ lead in the National League East would have been only 2 1/2 if they had lost. Strawberry raised it to 4 1/2.

“It was a long day, but it was worth it,” Strawberry said. “The doctor who delivered the baby said I would hit a home run.

“One of the reasons I hurried back was that in an important series we were already without Keith Hernandez (on the disabled list). I wanted to support this team.”

Kevin Elster, benched last week for not hitting, also hit a two-run home run to assure Sid Fernandez (4-6) of his eighth straight win against the Pirates. Howie Johnson also homered.

Fisher, who won his first 4 decisions, has lost 6 in a row, giving up 31 runs in those 6 games.

Fernandez, who had lost 5 of his previous 7 decisions, gave up 3 hits in 8 innings.

Cincinnati 4, San Diego 3--It was a bizarre ending to a frustrating week for the Reds. They ended their six-game losing streak in a most unusual manner at Cincinnati when Padre reliever Lance McCullers walked Tracy Jones with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.

The Reds, who got a pep talk from owner Marge Schott before the game, responded by giving up three runs in the first inning. But Danny Jackson (8-4) settled down, and Barry Larkin sparked the comeback with a two-run home run.

The Reds loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and an intentional walk. It appeared the frustration might continue when Dave Collins hit a short fly ball to left. But McCullers walked Jones and the streak was over.

Chicago 6, Philadelphia 4--Cub Manager Don Zimmer contends that shortstop Shawon Dunston is playing as well as anyone in the game.

And that was before Dunston delivered the key hit for the second game in a row at Chicago.

Dunston, whose two-run home run beat the Phillies Monday, hit a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning that capped a four-run rally that led to the Cubs’ fourth victory in a row.

The four runs came off bullpen ace Steve Bedrosian, who was trying to protect a 4-2 lead.

San Francisco 13, Atlanta 7--Until they arrived in Atlanta Monday, the Giants had been in a season-long batting slump.

The Giants, with Candy Maldonado getting four hits, hammered the woeful Braves for the second game in a row. They had 19 hits for the second consecutive game and have 23 runs in 2 games.

The clubs tied a major league record with five sacrifice flies.

Dale Murphy hit two home runs for the Braves. He has 12 this season.

St. Louis 5, Montreal 4--The speed of the Cardinals forced the Expos into two ninth-inning errors at St. Louis that enabled the Cardinals to pull out the victory.

Andres Galarraga hit an opposite-field home run off John Tudor to give the Expos a 4-3 lead in the eighth.

But with one out in the ninth, Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee singled. Catcher Nelson Santovenia, trying to catch McGee stealing, threw the ball into center field. Smith scored and McGee went to third. In his haste to make a play on McGee at the plate, third baseman Tim Wallach missed Tom Brunansky’s grounder and the game was over.