National League Roundup : Giants’ One-Two Hitting Punch Flattens Mets

One of the goals of Manager Roger Craig of the San Francisco Giants this spring was to find a cleanup hitter to bat behind Will Clark.

The 25-year-old first baseman hit 29 home runs and led the league with 109 runs batted in last season, his third in the majors.

But when the situation was dangerous, the opposition frequently pitched around Clark. There was no one batting behind him to take up the slack.

This season, Craig decided to give Kevin Mitchell a shot at the spot behind Clark. It has turned out to be another outstanding managerial move.

Mitchell’s hot start has forced the pitchers to give Clark a chance to hit, and he has responded by leading the league in batting. Meanwhile, Mitchell, who hit a career-high 22 home runs in 1987, leads the majors with 13 in only 41 games, and the Giants are in contention.

The one-two punch delivered consecutive home runs in the fourth inning Saturday at New York, helping the Giants score a 3-0 victory as Mike Krukow continued his domination of the Mets.

Krukow (3-1) was 3-0 against the Mets last season and is 21-7 in his career. Krukow gave up four hits in 5 2/3 innings, then Mike LaCoss finished up for his fourth save. Although they continue to lead the NL East, the Mets are batting only .231.

Clark broke the scoreless tie when he tagged Bob Ojeda (1-5) for his sixth home run to open the inning, and Mitchell followed with an opposite-field smash.

“I’m a fastball hitter,” Clark said, “and batting in front of Kevin, I get to see pitches I can hit.”

Clark and Mitchell also hit consecutive home runs Monday night at Philadelphia.

“Right now, they’re the best number three-and-four combination in baseball,” Craig said.

Ojeda, trying to come back from a late-season accident in which he nearly severed a finger on his pitching hand, continues to pitch without support. Last season, 10 of his 13 losses came when the Mets scored two or fewer runs.

The game drew 45,565 as the Mets honored the 1969 Miracle Mets, who won the World Series.

Houston 5, Pittsburgh 4--The Astros had their best hitting game of the season, but they still had to go 12 innings to win at the Astrodome.

Rafael Ramirez, who hit an eighth-inning home run to put the Astros ahead once, singled home the winning run with the team’s 17th hit.

Barry Bonds’ double drove in the tying run in the top of the ninth.

Juan Agosto, the sixth Astro pitcher, worked two scoreless innings for his first win.

St. Louis 1, Atlanta 0--Although they are missing half of their starting pitching staff and bullpen ace Todd Worrell, the Cardinals are hanging tough in the East.

Ozzie Smith tripled and scored on a two-out single by Terry Pendleton in the 13th inning at Atlanta, moving the Cardinals within 1 1/2 games of first-place New York.

Five Cardinal pitchers held the Braves to five hits, with Ken Dayley the winner and Dan Quisenberry getting the last three outs for the save.

Chicago 7, Cincinnati 3--It is the Cubs who pose the immediate threat to the Mets. With former Red Lloyd McClendon driving in three runs with a home run and a single at Cincinnati, the Cubs won their fifth in a row.

McClendon, traded to the Cubs last December for Roland Roomes, is getting a chance to play because of so many injuries to Cub outfielders.

Paul Kilgus (4-4), with relief help from Pat Perry, gained the victory. Perry held the Reds hitless for 3 1/3 innings. He has given up only three earned runs in 22 2/3 innings.

San Diego 3, Philadelphia 2--It’s a tight race in the West, too, just 1 1/2 games from first to fifth.

The Padres moved within a game of the top when Carmelo Martinez hit a two-run triple and Garry Templeton homered.

Dennis Rasmussen made it through five innings to win for the first time since April 7. Greg Harris pitched four hitless innings for his third save.