National League Roundup : Mets Sweep Away Expos, Not Johnson’s Concern

It may be that the New York Mets will win the National League East by a large margin, possibly double figures.

It also may be that they will drive Manager Davey Johnson to distraction before they do.

When they blew the first two games of a four-game series and let the Montreal Expos climb into the division race, Johnson was beside himself.

He worried too soon. After spotting the Expos a 3-0 lead in the opener of Sunday’s doubleheader at New York, the Mets stormed back to sweep, 4-3 and 4-2, and knock the Expos back into third place, 6 1/2 games behind.

The rally to win the opener was not unexpected, but in the nightcap, inconsistent Sid Fernandez faced the hottest pitcher in the league, Dennis Martinez.

Fernandez had lost two in a row and Martinez had won seven straight.

It was Fernandez’s day. He struck out 11 and gave up only four hits before Roger McDowell, winner of the opener in relief, came on to get the last two outs and save the nightcap.

Martinez lasted five innings. He gave up eight hits and all four runs, only two of which were earned, and his record fell to 14-8.

Howard Johnson, who walked and scored the winning run on Tim Teufel’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning of the opener, had the big hit in the nightcap. He hammered his 22nd home run to break a 1-1 tie in the second inning and start Martinez on his way to defeat.

“It’s not like we’re running away from anybody,” the Mets’ manager said. “When we win, we just eke by. We don’t scare anybody, except maybe ourselves. We can’t seem to put people away.

“I don’t look for the Expos to fold. They scrap and do everything they can to beat you. All their players seem to be giving everything they have. That’s what it takes.”

San Diego 6, Houston 1--With a chance to move closer to the lead in the West, the Astros couldn’t handle the pesky Padres in the Astrodome.

The Astros lost for the second time in three games to the Padres when backup catcher Mark Parent had his biggest game.

Parent, who plays sparingly behind last season’s Rookie of the Year, Benito Santiago, singled in a run in the first inning, then hit two-run home runs in the fourth and sixth.

His first major league home runs made it easy for Eric Show to reach .500 (10-10). Show pitched a six-hitter.

“It’s nice to play a part in a victory,” Parent said. “A lot of times when I come up with a chance to do something, they bat for me.

“I hope I impressed the Astros enough so they will make a trade for me. I know I’ll never be anything but a backup to Benito here.”

Pittsburgh 9, Philadelphia 8--The Phillies battled back from an 8-2 deficit at Philadelphia and brought in bullpen ace Steve Bedrosian to pitch the ninth.

It was Bedrosian against Andy Van Slyke. Van Slyke won. He came out of a 2-for-14 slump and slammed his 20th home run for his 12th game-winning run batted in.

“We have a knack of battling back,” Manager Jim Leyland said of his Pirates, who moved back into second place in the East, five games behind the Mets. “Every time it looks like we’re in trouble, we win and stay in the race. If we can make a spurt, we can get right back in it.”

Although he gave up the tying run in the eighth, Jim Gott (6-4) pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to win it.

Cincinnati 2, Atlanta 0--Four pitchers combined on a nine-hitter at Cincinnati and the Reds moved to within six games of first place in the West.

It was not all good news. For the second game in a row, starter Jose Rijo had to leave with elbow and forearm problems. He staggered through two innings, giving up four hits. Tim Birtsas gave up the other two hits in three innings to get his first major-league victory since he pitched for Oakland three years ago. Rob Murphy and John Franco each pitched two innings in the stifling heat.

Bo Diaz singled home a run in the second and Kal Daniels did the same in the fifth to beat Zane Smith (5-10).

Chicago 8, St. Louis 3--Mike Bielecki, summoned out of the bullpen because of injuries to several starters, went seven innings at Chicago to get the victory.

According to catcher Damon Berryhill, Bielecki shook him off only once. That was before Tom Brunansky hit his 17th home run.

Darrin Jackson delivered the first pinch home run by the Cubs this season when he hit a Ken Dayley fastball for a two-run homer in the sixth inning.