National League Roundup : Rijo Pitches In to Help Reds Beat Mets, 11-2

Jose Rijo didn’t just benefit from his team’s big first inning Tuesday night, the Cincinnati Reds pitcher contributed to it.

Rijo (11-4), who played in the American League until this season, had his first major league hit, a single, and scored in the Reds’ 10-run first inning at Cincinnati.

In the second inning, Rijo added to his cause when he hit a home run off Terry Leach.

It capped an 11-2 victory over the New York Mets, whose lead in the National League East dropped to 1 1/2 games over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Met starter Ron Darling did not make it through the first inning. He struck out two batters, but he also walked three and gave up five hits, including back-to-back home runs by Chris Sabo and Eric Davis.

“Now I know how Michael Spinks feels,” Darling said. “It wasn’t fun out there.”

The Reds sent 15 batters to the plate in their biggest inning against the Mets since the Reds scored 10 runs in a game in 1985. But they didn’t come close to the league record. In 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers scored 15 runs in the first inning against the Reds.

The big inning started off with Met shortstop Kevin Elster fumbling Kal Daniels’ grounder for an error. Darling didn’t get that first out until he struck out Ron Oester, the No. 8 hitter. By that time, six runs had scored. Later, Darryl Strawberry dropped a fly for an error.

Rijo lost his shutout in the fourth, then retired after going five, just long enough to get the victory.

Ron Robinson, making his first appearance since going on the disabled list June 24 because of an elbow injury, pitched two scoreless innings and Tim Birtsas finished up.

San Diego 6-5, Pittsburgh 2-9--Nobody can stop 1987 batting champion Tony Gwynn these days. He had three hits and drove in the winning run in the opener of a doubleheader at Pittsburgh to help starter Jimmy Jones end the Pirates’ nine-game winning streak.

Gwynn, who was 4 for 10 in the doubleheader, threw a scare into the Pirates in the nightcap when he hit a three-run home run in the first inning to stretch his hitting streak to 14 games, during which he is 29 for 58. The home run gave starter Andy Hawkins (9-8) a 3-0 cushion.

Pittsburgh answered with two runs in the second. Then Barry Bonds opened the third with his 18th home run to tie the game, and the next six Pirate batters reached base, eventually giving Pittsburgh a 7-3 lead.

Brian Fisher (6-6) settled down to hold the Padres scoreless through the seventh inning. Dave Rucker pitched the last two innings for the Pirates, giving up a two-run homer to Carmelo Martinez in the ninth.

Andy Van Slyke had three hits in the second game, including his 15th home run.

In the opener, the Pirates were baffled by Jones’ soft stuff. Gwynn drove in two runs, and the Padres halted John Smiley’s six-game winning streak.

San Francisco 3, Chicago 1--Rick Reuschel started the slump of the Giants’ pitchers, so it was only right that he try to put the staff back on the right track.

Reuschel (12-5) held the Cubs hitless for six innings and allowed only three hits in eight innings at Chicago as the Giants ended a five-game losing streak.

After Reuschel gave up two singles to open the ninth, Manager Roger Craig rescued the veteran right-hander with his left-right bullpen pair. Craig Lefferts retired two left-handed hitters, and right-hander Scott Garrelts struck out Andre Dawson to end it.

Reuschel is 9-2 with an earned-run average of 1.70 against the club he broke in with in 1972. In four starts this season against the Cubs, he is 4-0 with an ERA of 0.89.

Last Thursday night at Pittsburgh, Reuschel gave up 6 runs on 9 hits in 3 innings. The Giants went into the game trailing the Dodgers by just 2 1/2 games.

But all the Giant pitchers followed Reuschel’s lead. In five games they yielded 40 runs and wound up 8 games behind the Dodgers. The pitching, which had kept the Giants in contention, fell apart just when it appeared the Giants were ready to overtake the Dodgers.

Mitch Webster spoiled Reuschel’s bid for a no-hitter when he singled to open the seventh and eventually scored the Cubs run.

Rick Sutcliffe, beaten 1-0 by the Dodgers in his previous start, pitched a complete game, giving up 7 hits and fanning 8, but his record fell to 7-8.

Houston 4, Montreal 3--Mike Scott gave up 6 hits and struck out 11 in 8 innings at Montreal and improved his record to 9-2.

Glenn Davis drove in two runs with a double and his 21st home run and Dave Smith, after committing a balk to get the Expos within a run, got the final out with the potential tying run on second.

Although he gave up only four hits in seven innings, Pascual Perez lost for the 4th time in 10 decisions.

Perez, who joined the Expos last August, was victimized by a couple of his own mistakes. The first occurred in the sixth inning when Perez threw Glenn Davis one of his “Pascualball” blooper pitches, a pitch that has embarrassed a number of hitters this season, and Davis hit it into the left-field seats.

The second Perez mistake, a wild pitch, allowed Rafael Ramirez to score the deciding run in the seventh. Ramirez reached second on Expo shortstop Luis Rivera’s two-base throwing error and advanced to third on an infield out.

Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 4--Chris James and Juan Samuel each hit two-run home runs at Philadelphia and Kevin Gross (9-6) won his first game since June 17.

The Phillies built a 5-0 lead by the second inning, but the Braves closed to 6-3 with one of the runs coming on Dale Murphy’s 17th home run. Phillie reliever Steve Bedrosian came in with two outs in the eighth to save the win.