National League Roundup : Mets Beat Cubs, 3-2, on Samuel Hit in Ninth

The Mets aren’t dead yet. The Chicago Cubs couldn’t finish them off.

With their pennant hopes about to fade, the Mets beat the Cubs, 3-2, Tuesday night at New York behind Sid Fernandez’s six-hitter and Juan Samuel’s game-winning single in the ninth inning. By winning, the Mets closed to within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs in the NL East.

“We had to win,” said Tim Teufel, whose ninth-inning double started the winning rally. “This was a true test of this club, winning like this.”

Teufel, batting for Fernandez, hit a drive that bounced off the center-field fence and off center fielder Jerome Walton.

“I tried to catch it any way I could,” said Walton, whose bad throw led to New York’s first run. “It’s a hard catch.”

Gregg Jefferies flied to center, sending pinch-runner Lou Thornton to third and Samuel followed with a line single to right off Mitch Williams (4-3).

“It’s hard to lose a game like this,” Williams said. “We came back to tie the game, put them in line for a sweep and I screw it up. It’s demoralizing.”

Trailing 2-1, Chicago had rallied in the ninth when Mark Grace lined a double to center as Samuel just missed making a diving catch. Andre Dawson flied to right, sending Grace to third, and Lloyd McClendon’s sacrifice fly tied it.

Fernandez (11-3) pitched a six-hitter, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter to win for the seventh time in eight decisions.

Montreal 6, St. Louis 2--Tim Wallach hit a grand slam as the Expos defeated the Cardinals at St. Louis.

Wallach, who entered the game batting .189 against the Cardinals, hit his fourth grand slam in the seventh inning, had a run-scoring single in the first and a double in the ninth as the Expos won for only the 11th time in 31 games.

Pascual Perez (8-12) gave up six hits in 8 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked one as the Expos beat St. Louis for only the fifth time in 16 games. The loss ended a three-game winning streak by the Cardinals.

Cincinnati 6, San Francisco 5-- Ken Griffey hit a three-run homer at Cincinnati as the Reds ended the Giants five-game winning streak.

The Reds got 6 2/3 strong innings from Jack Armstrong (2-1), who allowed six hits, including Matt Williams’ two-run homer in the fourth.

John Franco, the fourth Cincinnati pitcher, worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save.

Griffey’s eighth homer came off Mike LaCoss (7-10), who lasted just four innings.

The Giants were missing Kevin Mitchell, the major league home run and RBI leader, for the second consecutive game. Mitchell sprained his left wrist while trying to check his swing Sunday.

San Diego 7, Atlanta 5--Roberto Alomar homered, doubled, singled and scored two runs as the Padres defeated the Braves at Atlanta.

Alomar’s two-run homer in the fourth, which followed a homer by Benito Santiago, was the Padres’ 28th home run in 17 games.

The two home runs gave the Padres a 4-0 lead. And although the Braves rallied to take a 5-4 lead, those early runs were the difference.

Tim Flannery’s pinch RBI single in the 10th inning snapped a 5-5 tie as the Padres won for the 12th time in 13 games.

Alomar led off the 10th inning with a single and took second on Tony Gwynn’s grounder. Following an intentional walk to Jack Clark, Flannery’s single to right scored Alomar. Garry Templeton’s single drove in the final run.

Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2--Rob Dernier’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning drove in Ricky Jordan as the Phillies beat the Pirates at Philadelphia to end a five-game losing streak.

Jordan opened the inning with a double to left off Bob Patterson (1-2). Pinch-hitter Tom Barrett sacrificed Jordan to third. The Pirates intentionally walked Lenny Dykstra and Dickie Thon.

Dernier batted for Darren Daulton and lofted a fly ball to medium center, but Jordan easily beat Andy Van Slyke’s throw to make a winner of reliever Jeff Parrett (12-4).