National League Roundup : Fernandez Gives Mets a Chance to Smile, 7-1

Throughout his career with the New York Mets, left-hander Sid Fernandez has had great potential. Except for the 1986 season, during which he was 16-6 and pitched well in the World Series, he has seldom met expectations.

This season, his sixth since being traded by the Dodgers, he began by being sent to the bullpen. Injuries to others on the staff resulted in his return to the rotation, and he has pitched well since.

Friday night in New York, Fernandez (7-2) pitched a three-hitter, and the Mets beat Cincinnati, 7-1. It was only his 10th complete game in 146 starts.

Fernandez’s performance was a bright spot for a pitching staff in shambles. Dwight Gooden is injured, and David Cone, Ron Darling and Bob Ojeda failed badly in recent outings.

In the three losses before Fernandez’s start, the Met starters gave up 20 earned runs and 24 hits in 9 1/3 innings. Fernandez has given up only 14 earned runs in his last nine starts.

Except for a home run by Luis Quinones, his third in two games, Fernandez was in complete control. Two days ago, Quinones had three home runs in 362 at-bats in the majors.

Kevin McReynolds drove in three runs with two singles, and Howard Johnson drove in a run and scored three runs to pace the Mets.

“If we needed a potion, that was it,” Met Manager Davey Johnson said of Fernandez. “Sid threw only 108 pitches. He was absolutely outstanding.”

Manager Pete Rose was concerned about the Reds’ lack of offense. “I hate to think Luis Quinones is our offense,” he said.

“Sid pitched well against us tonight. He didn’t throw a lot of high pitches.”

St. Louis 6, San Francisco 4--Kevin Mitchell hit his 29th home run to trigger a four-run second inning for the Giants at St. Louis, but the Cardinals won their fourth game in a row as Milt Thompson drove in two runs and Terry Pendleton hit a home run.

Pendleton’s homer gave the Cardinals, as a team, a 31-29 lead over Mitchell in home runs for the season.

The Cardinals won despite another poor outing by Jose DeLeon, who has lost five in a row. He gave up all four runs in four innings, but the bullpen shut down the leaders of the West. Frank DiPino (5-0) went 2 1/3 innings to win it.

Montreal 11, Houston 8--The Expos blew 4-0 and 8-1 leads at Houston, but Tom Foley singled in the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th that enabled them to stay 1 1/2 games in front in the East.

The Astros, trailing, 8-5, scored three times in the ninth to send the game into extra innings. Rafael Ramirez had a two-run double in the ninth.

After Foley, who earlier hit a two-run home run, drove in the tiebreaker, Tim Raines singled in two more runs.

The Expos have won eight games in a row at the Astrodome.

The defeat kept the Astros from moving within a game of the Giants in the West.

Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3--For most of the season, pitcher John Smoltz and left fielder Lonnie Smith have provided the brightest moments for the Braves.

Smoltz, who will represent the Braves in the All-Star game Tuesday night at Anaheim Stadium, improved to 11-6 in the game at Atlanta. It was a two-run home run in the sixth inning by Smith that brought the Braves from behind.

Smoltz struggled with his control, walking five, but he made it through eight innings.

Pittsburgh 3, San Diego 0-- The season has been a disaster for the Dodgers, but it hasn’t been much better for the Padres.

Doug Drabek threw a three-hitter at Pittsburgh to hand the Padres, who are only a half-game ahead of the Dodgers, their sixth loss in the last seven games.

Drabek has given up three or fewer runs in 17 of his 18 starts but has only a 6-6 record.