National League Roundup : Astros’ Knepper Beats Gooden and Mets, 4-2

What a difference a year makes.

On his way to leading the National League with 17 defeats last season, left-hander Bob Knepper, was 3-10 at the All-Star break.

Friday night at Houston, Knepper allowed only four hits to outpitch Dwight Gooden as the Astros defeated the New York Mets, 4-2.

The victory improved Knepper’s record to 9-2. He used his slow stuff to befuddle the leaders of the National League East and justify his selection to the All-Star team.

The performance by Knepper, combined with Houston’s 10 hits in 6 innings off another All-Star pitcher, Gooden, enabled the Astros to end a five-game losing streak.

Going into the game, Gooden, who beat Knepper last Saturday in New York, had a 10-1 career record against the Astros. He had not lost to them since May 6, 1984.

But the Astros had five hits, four of them singles, in the first two innings to take a 3-0 lead. Knepper made sure the Mets never caught up.

It was only the second complete game in 16 starts for Knepper. But he has been effective every time out except last Saturday against the Mets. In all other starts, he has pitched into the seventh inning.

Philadelphia 1, Cincinnati 0--Jose Rijo made only one mistake in this game at Cincinnati, and it cost him.

Rijo was working on a one-hitter when he hung a slider to Milt Thompson in the eighth inning, and the Phillie center fielder hit his second home run of the season.

The homer, which came after Thompson had fouled off five pitches, ended the Phillies’ five-game losing streak.

Don Carman (5-5) gave up just 4 hits in 7 innings, then Mr. Reliable (Steve Bedrosian) took over. Bedrosian, who won the Cy Young Award last season because of his brilliant work in relief, retired the last four Reds to pick up his 15th save.

Bedrosian did not pitch until the Phillies’ 37th game this season because of arm trouble.

Montreal 7, Atlanta 1--The Expos are playing the best ball in the league. On a hot night in Atlanta they chased Rick Mahler, a cool-weather pitcher, with five hits and four runs before he could get two batters out in the first inning.

They made it easy for Bryn Smith (6-5) to improve his career record against the Braves to 12-2.

Smith lost his shutout when Ozzie Virgil hit his eighth home run in the ninth inning. It was one of five hits Smith yielded.

The league’s leading hitter, Andres Galarraga, singled home the first run for the Expos and also scored in the opening rally.

San Diego 4, Chicago 2--Dennis Rasmussen gave up 10 hits at San Diego but won his fifth game in a row since rejoining the Padres.

Rasmussen, who started with the Padres in 1983 and went to the Yankees the next season, came back in a trade with the Reds June 8.

Keith Moreland’s two-run, two-out single in the seventh inning clinched the Padre win.

San Francisco 1, St. Louis 0--Mike LaCoss pitched a four-hitter at San Francisco, and Will Clark’s sacrifice fly in the first inning accounted for the only run as the Giants recorded their third straight shutout.

LaCoss (7-6) walked two, struck out five and did not allow a runner past second base in his first complete game and first shutout of the season. Joe Magrane (1-3) took the loss.

The three-shutout string was the first for the Giants since May 1960, when they blanked Philadelphia twice and Los Angeles once. It also gave the them four shutouts in their last five games.