National League Roundup : Mitchell Supplies Power Again; Giants Win, 5-1

When Kevin Mitchell first came up with the New York Mets in 1984, immediate stardom was predicted. It didn’t happen and the impatient Mets soon quit on him.

They sent him to San Diego in December, 1986, to get a proven outfielder--Kevin McReynolds. The Padres were even less patient. They sent the outfielder-third baseman to San Francisco after less than half a season.

Manager Roger Craig of the Giants is a patient man and his patience has paid off. At 27 Mitchell, concentrating on one position--left field--has just about reached stardom.

Mitchell, along with Will Clark, carries the Giants’ offense.

Mitchell, the major league home run leader, hit his 11th home run Sunday at San Francisco to lead the Giants to a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Mitchell homered in the eighth to help Don Robinson, touched for nine hits, improve his record to 2-3. Robinson caught Mitchell’s home run fever, hitting a two-run smash, the ninth homer of his career.

But, it is Mitchell who is on an amazing tear. With the season just a little more than a month old, Mitchell has driven in 36 runs, and has hit home runs in five of the last six games. He already has 25 extra base hits, leading the league with 13 doubles.

Mitchell gives much of the credit for his arrival as a star to Craig.

“The Mets kept moving me around, in and out of the lineup and into different positions,” he said. “Roger just puts me in the lineup.”

Said Craig: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy hit the ball this hard. It’s just unbelievable. You’re kind of disappointed when he only gets a single. The other day he hit two home runs and hit two other drives to the warning track with the wind blowing in.”

Mitchell does have an inspiration. He has a snapshot on the inside of his locker door. It’s of a pretty fair hitter--Willie Mays.

“Maybe that has something to do with the fast start,” Mitchell said. “All I know is that I’ve already done what I wanted to do at the halfway point. I wanted to hit 10 home runs by the All-Star game. I’m really not surprised. A lot of people have told me I have the potential to be a good hitter.”

Houston 5, New York 0--There has been at least one shutout for 28 consecutive days in the majors. It isn’t too surprising the string was continued at New York.

The only problem is that it was the wrong pitcher. It wasn’t Dwight Gooden, who came into the game with a 5-0 record, but rather the Astros’ Jim Deshaies.

Gooden has a popping fastball. You think Deshaies, another one of many former Yankee farmhands doing well, will never get his to the plate.

Deshaies (4-2) had the Mets baffled. He gave up five hits and struck out seven, while pitching his second shutout. The Mets had not been shutout since last Sept. 13.

Kevin Bass, emerging from a deep slump, gave Deshaies the support he needed. He was three for three, scored three runs, stole four bases and drove in a run.

He gave Gooden fits at bat and on the bases. Gooden called it quits after six innings, giving up just four hits but three runs.

Philadelphia 5, Cincinnati 0--Former Milwaukee pitcher Alex Madrid needed help to get this shutout at Cincinnati, but in his third major league start, he earned his first victory.

Madrid, just called up from the International League, gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings before Gordon Dillard and Steve Bedrosian finished up.

Atlanta 7, Montreal 1--After the light-hitting Braves pounded out 19 hits and scored 13 runs Saturday night, Pete Smith figured he wouldn’t get any.

So, he decided if he was going to gain his first victory after four defeats in this game at Atlanta, he better help himself.

Smith (1-4) capped a six-run third inning with a bases loaded triple and the Braves completed a three-game sweep. Smith gave up three hits in seven innings and struck out eight as the Braves won their fifth in a row.

San Diego 3, Pittsburgh 1--Roberto Alomar’s soft-food diet must be agreeing with him. The young second baseman drove in all the Padre runs at San Diego with his first home run and a two-run single.

Alomar has been on a limited diet since a foul ball bounced up and hit him in the mouth Wednesday.

“I don’t feel like I used to feel,” Alomar said. “I’ve been eating only soup and corn flakes and I feel a little weak.”

Ed Whitson (5-2) got into a bit of trouble with one out in the ninth. But bullpen ace Mark Davis struck out the last two batters and has saved 13 of the Padres’ 17 victories.