National League Roundup : Met Power Comes in Threes Against Reds, 11-1

Darryl Strawberry said he’s glad to be back in the lineup, and the New York Mets are happy he’s there.

Strawberry, pitcher Ron Darling and third baseman Howard Johnson hit three-run homers to defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 11-1, Friday night at Cincinnati.

After being out of the lineup with a broken toe since June 19, Strawberry said he was nervous in his first start.

“That’s why I struck out the first time up,” he said, but after that he settled down. “I’m better off just keeping it within myself.”

Johnson said he has been working on his hitting but was surprised at getting home runs in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

“I just want to be a better hitter. It makes sense to help the team,” he said. “I swung at the pitch before that real hard and missed it, then I swung slower and I got the bat in front of the ball, and I got lucky.”

Darling’s three-run shot came in the sixth inning after catcher Mackey Sasser walked and Kevin Elster singled. Darling is the first Met pitcher to hit two home runs in a season since 1983, when Walt Terrell had three. Tom Seaver hit two in 1972.

Chicago 6, San Francisco 4--Ryne Sandberg ended an 0-for-22 slump and a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the sixth inning at San Francisco, helping the Cubs break a seven-game losing streak.

The Cubs scored five runs in the sixth inning--as many as they had scored in any of their previous seven games. They had scored a total of nine runs during the slump.

The Giants learned before the game that pitcher Mike Krukow might be lost for the season after arthroscopic surgery disclosed that he has a torn rotator cuff.

Krukow, 37, had been expected to be out at least six to eight weeks after the operation performed in Los Angeles by orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe. The inflammation in Krukow’s right shoulder had been attributed to bursitis.

Montreal 6, Houston 1--Dennis Martinez pitched a five-hitter to win his seventh consecutive game, and Andres Galarraga hit a two-run home run as the Expos defeated the Astros at Montreal.

Martinez (8-1) struck out six and walked two while going the distance for the second time this season.

Bob Knepper (3-9) allowed nine hits in six innings to lose his third straight decision.

Philadelphia 4-1, Atlanta 2-3--Terry Mulholland allowed two hits in eight innings before leaving in the ninth as the Phillies defeated the Braves in the first game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia.

Mulholland (1-2), acquired from the San Francisco Giants on June 18, allowed only a bunt single by Jeff Treadway in the third inning and a single by Jeff Blauser in the fourth--until the ninth, when Lonnie Smith singled and Andres Thomas homered with one out. Jeff Parrett got the last two outs for his second save.

The Braves came back to take the second game as Andres Thomas drove in two runs and Derek Lilliquist allowed only one in 6 1/3 innings.

Lilliquist (5-4) gave up five hits and got relief from Jim Acker and Joe Boever in the nightcap. Acker allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings, and Boever pitched a hitless ninth inning for his 13th save.

St. Louis 4, San Diego 3--At St. Louis, Scott Terry allowed nine hits in five innings and hit his second home run, enabling the Cardinals to end the Padres’ four-game winning streak.

Terry’s homer came off Walt Terrell (4-11), who lost his sixth straight start since he last won on May 27. Bip Roberts tripled, singled twice and walked, scoring all three San Diego runs.

“He made a mistake,” Terry said of Terrell’s pitch. “I know it’s not where he wanted to throw it.”

Terry (6-7) became the first Cardinal pitcher to hit two home runs in one season since Bob Forsch did it in 1987. Bob Gibson holds the St. Louis team record, twice hitting five home runs in a season.