National League Roundup : Jackson Back in Groove for Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have not let the problems of Manager Pete Rose affect their performance. While Rose is preparing for his upcoming hearing with Commissioner Bart Giamatti to answer gambling charges, his team has continued to play well.

Even pitcher Danny Jackson is back in the groove, and as a result, the Reds are leading the National League West.

Jackson, the best left-hander in the league last season, restricted the Cardinals to three hits in seven innings at St. Louis to pitch the Reds to a 5-2 victory and a sweep of the three-game series.

It was Jackson’s first victory since the opening game of the season and stretched Cincinnati’s lead in the West to 1 1/2 games over San Francisco. Jackson, who had lost six straight, is 2-6 after his second consecutive solid performance. Jackson was 23-8 for the Reds last season after being acquired from the Kansas City Royals.

Although many National League teams are having trouble scoring runs, the Reds, led by outfielder Paul O’Neill, have produced enough for a 20-15 record. The Reds’ more publicized outfielders, Eric Davis and Kal Daniels, are both injured, so someone had to take charge, and O’Neill took it upon himself.

O’Neill had two hits, scored a run and drove in three runs. His run-scoring singles in the third and fifth provided Jackson with a 2-0 lead.

With outfielder Tracy Jones traded away, O’Neill knew he would play regularly, and he’s made the most of the opportunity. He has raised his average to .322 and has driven in 30 runs.

“My goal this year has been to be more consistent,” said the switch-hitting right fielder. “Last year I would have a great series, then go into a slump. I feel I have been more consistent.”

O’Neill had another goal. He wanted to win the fifth spot in the batting order behind Davis.

Right now, he is the No. 4 hitter and the Reds are cleaning up.

The rest of the pitching staff has been waiting for Jackson to start pitching well and it appears he has arrived.

“Actually, I’ve thrown well the last three outings,” Jackson said. “Things are coming around and it’ll only get better. I’ll get better. This is just a stepping stone.”

Although most of his pitching staff has been almost wiped out by injury, the lack of hitting is what’s really bothering Manager Whitey Herzog.

“Nobody’s hot,” he said. “Nobody’s hitting the ball. In fact, we’re not even getting hard outs.”

The loss dropped the Cardinals 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the East.

New York 2, San Diego 1--Back in spring training, Met Manager Davey Johnson was convinced that this was the best Mets’ hitting team he had ever managed.

He still thinks it is, but he’s beginning to waver. The Mets are outhitting only two other teams and are leading the East in spite of their offense, not because of it.

This game at New York was an example of the Mets’ futility on offense. They left 15 runners on base and Howard Johnson was thrown out at the plate twice.

They pulled out the victory in the ninth inning when shortstop Luis Salazar bobbled a sharply hit grounder with the bases loaded and one out.

“It should have been a double play, but I’ll take it,” Johnson said. “It may not look like it, but this is the best offensive team I’ve had. We just aren’t doing the little things that produce runs.”

The defeat dropped the Padres four games behind Cincinnati in the West.

Atlanta 5, Pittsburgh 2--The Braves call their new group of starters the “Young Guns.” And for good reason. They are pitching like Top Guns.

John Smoltz limited the Pirates to four hits and one earned run in seven innings at Pittsburgh to improve his record to 6-2 and move the Braves into third place in the West.

Smoltz, who turns 22 today, is the youngest of the trio that includes Pete Smith and Tommy Glavine. All suffered through a difficult tough learning process last season.

Ron Gant had a two-run single and Andres Thomas homered as the Braves improved their record in the last 10 games to 8-2.

Montreal 4, San Francisco 3--Dennis Martinez awakened with a sore throat and wasn’t sure he should try to pitch at Montreal.

He realized he had made the right decision when he played a part in a four-run third inning that proved enough to defeat the Giants. He singled and scored one of the runs that gave him a lead. It was just his second hit in 18 at-bats.

Only Candy Maldonado really caused Martinez (3-1) much of a problem. Maldonado, playing in place of the slumping Kevin Mitchell, hit his first two home runs of the season.

But Martinez made it through eight innings, striking out seven, and Tim Burke pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Houston 5, Chicago 1--When he was struggling to win just an occasional game in the early 1980s, Mike Scott probably had no idea he would ever reach 100 victories.

Now the ace of the Houston staff, Scott (5-2) pitched a four-hitter, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter to reach the century mark in wins. The Cubs’ only run was unearned.

“Wrigley Field is my least favorite place to pitch,” Scott said. “But I honestly feel I’m in a good groove. Then, too, the wind wasn’t blowing out. That’s good. I still can’t get used to the mound here, though.”

It was the fifth loss in a row for the Cubs, who have scored only seven runs in those defeats.