National League Roundup : Mets’ Ojeda Gets First Victory Since Accident

Bob Ojeda pitched a five-hitter through eight innings for his first victory since nearly severing his left middle finger last September as the resurging New York Mets beat the struggling Atlanta Braves, 7-1, Tuesday night at Atlanta.

It was the Mets’ eighth victory in nine games, and the Braves’ eighth consecutive loss.

Ojeda (1-3) almost severed the upper portion of the finger on his pitching hand with an electric clipper last Sept. 21. He had a 6.38 earned-run average entering the game.

Ojeda, who also had two singles, struck out two and walked one. He lost the shutout in the eighth when Jeff Blauser hit a single, went to second on Darryl Strawberry’s fielding error in right field and scored on Lonnie Smith’s double. Don Aase pitched the ninth.

Strawberry gave the Mets a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his sixth homer after Howard Johnson walked and stole second. The homer came off Pete Smith (0-4).

Montreal 6, Cincinnati 4--Otis Nixon’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and led the Expos to victory at Montreal.

Spike Owen doubled just inside the first base bag off reliever Kent Tekulve (0-1) to start the decisive rally. Nixon then hit a single to right and scored on Tim Raines’ single.

Raines went to second on the throw home and scored on Tom Foley’s single to make it 6-3.

Ken Griffey homered in the ninth for Cincinnati.

Houston 12, Philadelphia 4--Glenn Davis hit a two-run homer and an RBI single, and Kevin Bass was four for five and scored two runs as the Astros won at Philadelphia.

Bill Doran had three hits and three RBIs in Houston’s biggest offensive game of the season. The loss was the Phillies’ sixth in their last eight games.

Jim Deshaies (3-2) allowed nine hits, struck out three and walked three in eight innings.

Houston, which had 17 hits, scored a run in the first on Doran’s RBI double. But Philadelphia got two in the bottom of the first on Mike Schmidt’s home run after Von Hayes walked.

The Astros scored four times in the second, knocking out starter Floyd Youmans (1-3).

San Diego 7, St. Louis 1--Jack Clark got his first hit against his former Cardinal teammates, a three-run homer, and Ed Whitson pitched a six-hitter at San Diego.

The loss ended the Cardinals’ six-game winning streak.

Clark, who went 0 for 4 in San Diego’s first game against St. Louis Monday night, drove Scott Terry’s pitch over the center-field wall to ignite the Padres’ five-run third inning.

San Diego sent 10 batters to the plate against Terry (3-2), who gave up six hits and two walks, one intentional, in the inning.

Clark, who left St. Louis as a free agent after the 1987 season to sign with the New York Yankees, boosted his home run total to five, all since April 14. He came to San Diego last October in a trade with the Yankees.

San Francisco 4, Chicago 0--Kevin Mitchell hit his seventh home run and Rich (Goose) Gossage got his first save as a Giant in this game at San Francisco.

Gossage, released by the Cubs during spring training, signed with the Giants just before the season began. He came on for Rick Reuschel with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth. Gossage got Vance Law to pop out and Shawon Dunston to ground out.

In the ninth, Gossage struck out two, and earned his 303rd save, the most of any active pitcher.