National League Roundup : Mets’ Woes Continue With 3-2 Loss

Manager Davey Johnson of the New York Mets learned he might need back surgery and could be out several weeks when his team is struggling.

Johnson learned Sunday, according to Newsday, that he has two ruptured disks in his back. He will find out this week if surgery is necessary.

The Mets also are having problems on a trip to the West.

Since Johnson became manager in 1984, the Mets have been successful in California. Often they have used the trips to send them winging to the pennant in the National League East.

With their 3-2 loss Monday to the Giants at San Francisco, the Mets fell to 2-5 on the trip, assuring them their first losing trip to the West Coast since Johnson took over.

Johnson said he had surgery on two disks in 1979 and was not sidelined too long. He said the back has bothered him most of the season.

The Mets’ play has bothered him, too. Before the season, Johnson and his players predicted the team would breeze to the pennant. The Mets’ power-packed lineup has failed to produce and the team is 24-23.

An unusual hit by pitcher Don Robinson (3-4) was a key to Monday’s loss. Robinson came up in the sixth with two on and one out in a 1-1 tie. Robinson, a good hitting pitcher, hit a chopper in front of the plate that bounced 50-feet high and came to rest a foot inside the foul line, 20 feet from home. Brett Butler then hit the first of two sacrifice flies. Earlier, Butler walked and scored the first Giant run on Will Clark’s bloop double.

“Not much of anything is going right for us except pitching,” Johnson said. “And we’re wasting that.”

The Mets’ unearned run in the ninth left them one short, a trend on their western swing. All five losses in California have been by a run.

Pittsburgh 12, Cincinnati 3--A day off did wonders for the slumps of the Pirates’ Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla.

Before taking Sunday off at Pittsburgh, Bonds was one for 25 and Bonilla was one for 16. They snapped their skids at the expense of the Reds.

Bonds was two for three with a home run and four runs batted in, and Bonilla was three for five with a home run and double.

Manager Jim Leyland was criticized for resting Andy Van Slyke as well as Bonds and Bonilla. But the 14-hit attack ended a three-game losing streak.

Atlanta 2, Chicago 1--Derek Lilliquist is too young and inexperienced to be concerned about the Cubs’ success against left-handers. Chicago had beaten the last eight left-handers it faced.

The rookie left-hander from Georgia held the Cubs to a run and seven hits in seven innings at Atlanta to even his record at 3-3.

The run Lilliquist gave up in the seventh after Darrin Jackson led off with a double, was his first earned run in 22 innings.

The light-hitting Braves didn’t make it easy for Lilliquist. They had only three hits off Scott Sanderson, all in the fourth inning to score two runs.

Houston 3, St. Louis 2--The Astros are different from most clubs. They struggle at home, but are just about unbeatable on the road.

They won this one although rookie Ken Hill held them hitless until the seventh. The Astros, who have won eight in a row away from the Astrodome, already had a run on an error by first baseman Pedro Guerrero.

Hill has been a victim of nonsupport. In his four losses, the Cardinals have scored four runs. The first hit he gave up in this one was an infield hit by Terry Puhl.

Bob Knepper improved his record to 3-6 with a strong seven innings.

San Diego 1, Philadelphia 0--Bruce Hurst and Mark Davis combined on a four-hitter as the Padres beat the Phillies in San Diego.

Hurst, a left-hander, allowed four hits and struck out six in 8 2/3 innings to improve his record to 5-3. It was Philadelphia’s sixth straight loss.

Ricky Jordan singled and Von Hayes walked with two outs in the ninth and Mark Davis came on to retire Chris James on a grounder to third for his 16th save in as many opportunities.

Hurst’s previous best outing with San Diego was a one-hitter on April 10 against visiting Atlanta. But in that game, his first victory, he allowed a two-run homer to Lonnie Smith.