National League Roundup : Mets Use Pitching, Defense and a Little Offense to Hold Off Giants, 2-1

The New York Mets, driving toward the National League East division title, have been doing it lately with pitching and defense.

The Mets did it again Saturday night at New York, as Howard Johnson hit a two-out, two-run bloop single in the first inning and the Mets made it stand up for a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Met starter Ron Darling (13-9) lasted 7 innings, giving up one run and five hits. Reliever Randy Myers retired the last four batters to earn his 20th save.

With two outs, Keith Hernandez singled and Kevin McReynolds doubled him to third. Johnson’s pop dropped safely into left field and both runners scored. The Mets have won five in a row, holding the opposition to four runs.

The Giants scored in the fifth on a single by Mike Aldrete, a double by Bob Brenly and a sacrifice fly by Jose Uribe.

With one out in the eighth, Brett Butler singled and continued to second when Mookie Wilson bobbled the ball. One out later, Myers came in to get Will Clark on a grounder to short.

“I didn’t want to give Darling the hook,” Manager Davey Johnson said, “but I wanted Randy to face the left-hander (Clark). Besides, the Giants don’t have a hit off Randy all season.”

Myers has faced the Giants four times, and in five innings do not have a hit off him.

“We hit the ball harder than they did,” said Manager Roger Craig, whose club fell 6 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. “We hit line drives right at them, but they get a bloop single and win the game.”

Rick Reuschel (17-7) got the loss. Reuschel pitched seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

The Giants’ fourth consecutive defeat dropped them 6 1/2 games behind the Dodgers. The win gave the Mets a 7 1/2-game lead over the Pirates.

Houston 3, Pittsburgh 1--Although Astro pitcher Mike Scott departed after giving up a run in the first inning at Houston, his successor, Dave Meads, made the Pirates look like Little Leaguers.

The victory enabled the Astros to stay 4 1/2 behind the Dodgers in the West, but it may have been a costly one. For the second time this season, Scott, the Astros’ best pitcher, injured a hamstring. The extent of the injury is not known.

Meads (3-0) held the Pirates to three hits in 5 innings before Juan Agosto finished up for his fourth save.

The Pirates, who have stopped hitting, aren’t playing much defense, either. After Meads led off the third with a single, Bobby Bonilla’s 30th error of the season gave the Astros two unearned runs and a victory.

Cincinnati 3, St. Louis 2--About the only consolation for Joe Magrane was that he didn’t lose this game at Cincinnati.

Magrane, 2-8 despite having the league’s lowest earned-run average among starting pitchers (2.33), made one mistake and it cost him a victory. He gave up a two-out, two-run home run to Eric Davis in the eighth to lose a 2-0 lead. He left with the game tied after nine innings.

The Cardinals threatened in the 11th, but Terry Pendleton hit into a bases-loaded double play to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 14th, Jeff Treadway was thrown out by center fielder Vince Coleman trying to score from second on Barry Larkin’s single. But the next two batters walked, and Larkin scored the winning run on Herm Winningham’s single down the first base line on a 3-and-2 pitch.

Montreal 4, San Diego 0--Bryn Smith (9-8) held the Padres to five hits in seven innings at Montreal as the Expos won for only the third time in 11 games.

Joe Hesketh worked the last two innings, giving up a hit and earning his seventh save.

Jimmy Jones (8-12) pitched six innings, giving up two runs, one earned.

Chicago 5, Atlanta 0--Jeff Pico made a strong pitch for a spot in the regular rotation by pitching a four-hitter at Atlanta and driving in the first run.

Pico, who had three strikeouts and no walks, retired the last 13 batters he faced.