National League Roundup : Guerrero, in Groove, Gets Four More RBIs to Lead Cardinals, 15-3

Once he overcame his anger at the Dodgers for trading him, Pedro Guerrero took a look at the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup.

When he saw all that speed and talent ahead of him in the batting order, his enthusiasm knew no bounds.

“I’m sure going to get a lot of chances to drive in runs,” he said. “With Vince Coleman, Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee in front of me, I’ll probably have someone on base every time I come up. Who could ask for anything more?”

Guerrero, ordinarily a slow starter, hasn’t had as many baserunners as he expected, but he is driving in runs.

Guerrero hit a three-run home run and finished with four RBIs Sunday to lead the Cardinals to a 15-3 romp over the Phillies at Philadelphia.

Smith hasn’t played yet this season, McGee is also hurt and sometimes he bats third instead of cleanup, but in just four games, Guerrero has driven in 10 runs.

Once he really starts to hit, look out. He has all those RBIs with just five hits in 17 at-bats.

“I don’t remember so many RBIs in just four games,” he said. “I guess I’m just hitting at the right time.”

Despite his injuries, Guerrero batted .286 last season, but he was .371 with runners in scoring position.

“That’s what we got him for,” Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said.

Guerrero, a lifetime .307 hitter, mostly as a Dodger, isn’t satisfied with his hitting.

“I’m swinging at a lot of bad pitches,” he said. “That’s something I want to control. Today when I struck out, I swung at a ball in the dirt. Even on the home run, the first pitch I swung at was way outside. I guess I was a little anxious. But I enjoy batting with men on base.”

Jose Oquendo, playing shortstop in place of Smith, also drove in four runs for the Cardinals, two of them in the first inning after Guerrero was walked. The Cardinals made it easy for Joe Magrane to even his record at 1-1.

New York 2, Montreal 1--The only rap against Dwight Gooden in his first three seasons with the Mets was that he didn’t pitch too well in daylight.

Gooden, only 24 but in his sixth professionalseason, ran his record to 2-0 when Kevin Elster doubled home the tie-breaking run in the ninth inning at Montreal.

Both victories, the only ones for the Mets, everyone’s favorite to win the National League pennant, came in daylight. He has given up eight hits and four earned runs in 15 innings. He has struck out 15.

It was quite a duel between Gooden and Dennis Martinez. Although he gave up nine hits, Martinez left after eight innings with a 1-1 tie.

Andy McGaffigan opened the ninth by walking Gary Carter. Len Dykstra ran for Carter and was sacrificed to second. Elster doubled to center for his eighth hit in 17 at-bats. Last season as a rookie, the young shortstop hit only .214.

San Francisco 9, Cincinnati 1--Rick Reuschel will be 40 next month, but since he made his astonishing comeback in 1985, he has become one of the most consistent pitchers.

Give him a lead and he’s really tough. When Matt Williams contributed a first-inning grand slam at Cincinnati, his first hit of the season, the Reds were through.

Reuschel, 19-11 last season, gave up four hits and a run in six innings to pick up his second victory in a row. Twenty wins at 40 is his goal.

Danny Jackson was the loser, but perhaps he deserved a better fate. He retired the first two batters, but after Will Clark singled, outfielders Eric Davis and Kal Daniels misplayed Kevin Mitchell’s fly ball that bounced over the fence. Two walks forced in a run, then Williams made it 5-0.

Jackson displayed anger when he was asked if he blamed the outfielders for not catching the ball. “Your question is pretty stupid, to tell the truth,” he said. “The damage wasn’t done until the home run.”

Chicago 8, Pittsburgh 3--Outfielder Andre Dawson was throwing snowballs before the game at frozen Wrigley Field, but it was Rick Sutcliffe’s fastballs that enabled the Cubs to sweep the three-game series.

At game time it was 33 degrees and there was a 25 m.p.h. wind. However, Sutcliffe went the distance, striking out 11, giving up seven hits and no walks, in getting his second victory.

“When I saw Andre throwing snowballs, I didn’t think there would be a game,” Sutcliffe said. “It was cold, but once you face the first batter, you put it all behind you.”

The Pirates are 1-5 and in last place.

San Diego 5, Houston 4--Normally, the Astros are tough to beat at home. But with this loss, they have opened 2-4 in the newly refurbished Astrodome.

Tony Gwynn and Jack Clark each drove in a pair of runs and the Padres turned in a triple play as they beat Houston ace Mike Scott.

It was a surprising loss for Scott. The Astros presented him with a 4-0 lead in the first two innings.

Clark drove in two runs in the third when the Padres tied it. Gwynn’s second hit, a single, scored Roberto Alomar from second in the fifth. It was Alomar’s error that helped the Astros to a three-run second inning.