National League Roundup : Mets Rally in Ninth to Beat Padres, 3-2

Kevin McReynolds tied the game with a ninth-inning homer, and Kevin Elster won it with a run-scoring double as the Mets beat the San Diego Padres, 3-2, Tuesday night at New York for the 12th time in their last 15 meetings.

With New York trailing, 2-1, against Padre starter Ed Whitson, McReynolds homered with one out, his 15th of the season and sixth in August.

Barry Lyons singled and Keith Miller struck out before Elster followed with a double down the left-field line to drive in Lyons. The relay throw from third baseman Bip Roberts was a one-hopper that bounced off catcher Benito Santiago’s chest as Lyons slid across the plate.

Roberts said the fault was his.

“I had the ball in my hand. I had the opportunity to correct the situation,” he said. “I didn’t make the throw. I had the guy dead.”

Whitson (14-9), denied his career-high 15th victory, allowed 10 hits, struck out four and walked none in his fifth complete game of the season. Mackey Sasser got three hits off Whitson, making him eight for eight in his career against the San Diego pitcher.

Howard Johnson’s 28th homer in the sixth accounted for the other Met run.

Jeff Musselman (3-2) pitched two perfect innings in relief of Sid Fernandez for the victory.

Houston 3, Pittsburgh 2-- Ken Caminiti’s 11th-inning single drove in Eric Yelding from second as the Astros defeated the Pirates at the Astrodome.

Glenn Davis, who homered earlier, led off the 11th with a single off Mike Smith (0-1) and Yelding came in to run for him. After a sacrifice by Kevin Bass moved Yelding to second, Caminiti delivered the game-winning hit to left field.

The victory was Houston’s 29th in one-run games this season, tops in the majors. The Astros are 29-17 in one-run decisions, the Pirates 13-27.

St. Louis 9, Atlanta 1--Jose DeLeon pitched a three-hitter, Milt Thompson knocked in four runs and Terry Pendleton went four for four as the Cardinals beat the Braves at St. Louis.

DeLeon (12-11) missed St. Louis’ league-leading 16th shutout when Jeff Treadway homered with two out in the ninth.

Chicago 5, Cincinnati 2--Andre Dawson hit rookie Mike Roesler’s 0-and-2 pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run homer with two out in the 12th inning as the Cubs beat the Reds at Cincinnati.

For Dawson, hitless in his previous five at-bats, it was his 13th homer of the season.

Cub rookie Jerome Walton took advantage of the extra innings to extend his hitting streak to 25 games--the longest in baseball this year--with a single in the 12th.