National League Roundup : Cone Gets Back at Astros, 2-1

Unaccustomed as he became to losing last season when he came from nowhere to post the best record in the majors, David Cone has been disappointed in his start this season.

The New York Mets’ right-hander, pushed into the starting rotation last season after being 5-6 as a rookie reliever in 1987, finished with a 20-3 record. He did not lose his second game last season until July 4 and played a key role as the Mets won in the East.

Imagine his chagrin last Sunday when the light-hitting Houston Astros pounded him for seven hits and seven runs in 2 1/3 innings and handed him his second defeat this season.

Cone was impressive against the Astros Saturday in New York when he pitched the Mets into first place with a 2-1 victory.

Howard Johnson’s third-inning two-run home run gave Cone the runs he needed and he pitched a five-hitter, striking out eight, to improve his record to 3-2. In 27 games, the Mets are 16-11 but have had only two complete games, both by Cone.

Nobody was as cognizant of the change in Cone as Glenn Davis, the man who carries the Astros’ offense. Sunday Davis tagged him for two hits. This time it was a mismatch. Cone struck him out four times.

“He looked like Cy Young against me today,” Davis said. “It was a combination of breaking stuff and me getting myself out with bad swings.”

Cone thought he might have turned everything around. “There’s no better way to redeem yourself than to come back and pitch well against the team that beat you,” he said.

The Astros scored in the sixth and loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. But Cone induced Ken Caminiti to hit a grounder to second baseman Gregg Jefferies who turned it into a double play. The middle man was shortstop, Howard Johnson.

Manager Davey Johnson is going to find a spot for the hot-hitting Johnson. After moving into the No. 2 spot in the order, Johnson has hit in 11 of 12 games with five home runs and 14 runs batted in.

It was a tough loss for Jim Clancy, facing the Mets for the first time. He escaped a first-inning jam largely because of the Mets’ poor baserunning. But the one Met who faced him when he pitched for Toronto beat him.

“I guess I remembered him,” Johnson said. “I had my first major league hit off him. I had gone 0 for 3 in Toronto when I singled against him.

“I had told our players that Clancy would come right at you. He’ll win a lot of games for them.”

Only if the Astros find some offense to go with Davis.

San Francisco 9, St. Louis 0--Rick Reuschel, who will be 40 later this month, moved within a victory of No. 200 by giving up five hits in six innings to halt the Cardinals in San Francisco.

Sixty-six of Reuschel’s victories have come since 1982, when everyone thought arm problems had ended his career.

Instead, he appears to be getting better with age. He won 19 for the Giants last season and is 5-2 despite aching knees this season.

Reuschel, who departed with an 8-0 lead, left because he wants to save wear and tear on the knees. He will try for No. 200 at Montreal Friday night.

The Giants jumped on Jose DeLeon and finished him off with six runs in less than two innings. DeLeon (5-2) came in having limited opponents to a .152 average. He retired only five batters and gave up seven hits.

“Jose was due for one of those,” Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog said. “He had nothing. Reuschel was the same as always. He throws a little slider, and a little sinker and he doesn’t let you run.”

The Cardinals also lost left fielder Vince Coleman, who strained his right hamstring beating out a bunt in the eighth.

Atlanta 13, Montreal 3--Only the Dodgers have a worse team batting average than the Braves.

The Braves got 19 hits against Pascual Perez (0-4) and three other pitchers, including infielder Tim Wallach, en route to their fourth consecutive victory.

Andre Thomas drove in five runs at Atlanta, Jody Davis four and Lonnie Smith and Ron Gant hit home runs as the Braves improved to 14-17 and climbed out of the cellar in the West.

A year ago the Braves were 9-22, 10 games behind and already talking about next year.

Wallach gave up an unearned run in one inning. Monday night in a 19-6 loss to Cincinnati, infielder Tom Foley took a turn on the mound.

Cincinnati 7, Philadelphia 4--Todd Benzinger hit a go-ahead single in the fifth inning at Cincinnati, and Paul O’Neill and Ron Oester each drove in two runs.

Mike Schmidt drove in two runs for the Phillies, who twice wasted one-run leads and lost for the fifth time in six games.

Schmidt, who drove in 62 runs in 106 games last season, has driven in 24 in 28 games this season.

Padres 4, Pirates 2--Mark Parent, subbing for slumping Benito Santiago, drove in all four San Diego runs with a sacrifice fly and a three-run homer as the Padres ended a three-game losing streak at San Diego.

Bruce Hurst (4-2) held Pittsburgh hitless until one-out doubles by Barry Bonds and Jose Lind in the sixth inning made the score 1-1. Hurst left after yielding one-out singles to Bonds and Lind in the eighth inning and Mark Davis went the rest of the way for his major leagues-leading 12th save in 12 opportunities.