National League Roundup : Mets’ Spirit Is Given Needed Lift by Gooden

If ever a team needed a lift, it was the New York Mets.

They were not hitting, they were feuding with the media and they were in danger of falling out of the race in the National League East.

But along came Dwight Gooden. Gooden, for years the Mets’ best pitcher, had been out since July 1 with a muscle tear under his right armpit.

Gooden’s appearance in relief of Bob Ojeda in the sixth inning of the Mets’ 10-4 victory over the Phillies Wednesday night at Philadelphia was the elixir the Mets were looking for.

Gooden, in his first relief appearance after 175 starts, pitched three scoreless innings, gave up two hits and struck out four.

He had nothing to do with the outcome except to raise the Mets’ spirits. With the Chicago Cubs again winning, the Mets remain 5 1/2 games behind with 17 games left.

Howard Johnson, one of the few Mets not angry at writers covering the club, hit a two-run home run, his 35th homer, to get the Mets’ offense on track in the third inning.

Kevin McReynolds seemed to speak for his teammates when he told Tom Verducci of Newsday that the problem was that too many people without the talent to play baseball were offering opinions.

For the first time in a while, there were smiles in the Met clubhouse. They will have to wait until today to find out if Gooden will be ready to help in the stretch, but they feel confident.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Gooden said. “I made sure I didn’t overthrow. It feels good right now. But the real test will be tomorrow.”

Manager Davey Johnson said Gooden will throw on the sideline in Montreal this the weekend.

“I would like to be able to pitch him in Chicago,” he said. The Mets play the Cubs in Chicago Monday and Tuesday.

“Any time you lose a Doc Gooden for 2 1/2 months, it’s a pretty big blow,” Johnson added. “I’m just glad to have him back, period.”

At the time of his injury, Gooden had a 9-4 record with a 2.94 earned-run average.

San Francisco 8, Cincinnati 7--Brett Butler’s run-scoring single with one out in the 13th inning capped a three-run rally as the Giants beat the Reds at San Francisco to keep their five-game lead over San Diego in the West.

Trailing 7-5, the Giants started the rally when reliever Bob Sebra hit Chris Speier with a pitch. Rookie Rosario Rodriguez then walked Ernest Riles on four pitches. A wild pitch moved the runners up, then pinch-hitter Greg Litton doubled to right to tie the score.

Rodriguez walked Bob Brenly intentionally to face Butler, who sliced a single to left to drive in pinch-runner Jim Weaver.

Eric Davis, who had four hits, including his 32nd home run, and drove in four runs, scored the tiebreaking run with one out in the top of the 13th.

Chicago 3, Montreal 1--Manager Don Zimmer and several veterans are trying to keep the younger Cubs from getting too excited about the five-game winning streak and a five-game lead.

But after completing a three-game sweep at Chicago, they have all but eliminated the Expos. The Expos are seven games back with 16 games left.

Scott Sanderson, making his first start in almost a month, and Les Lancaster yielded nine hits but gave up only one run.

The Cubs’ Jerome Walton, almost a cinch to win rookie of the year honors, had two singles, stole a base and made a fine catch in center.

“I tell the youngsters we got a long way to go--don’t start thinking about the playoffs,” said Andre Dawson, who ended a four-for-34 slump with a run-scoring single in the fifth.

A single by Dave Martinez, an infield out and Tom Foley’s double in the eighth ended the Expos’ string of scoreless innings at 19.

San Diego 3, Atlanta 2--The Padres continue their late run.

Benito Santiago hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning at San Diego to rally the Padres to their 17th victory in 20 games.

The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning when Lonnie Smith singled home the run.

Mark Davis took over for rookie Andy Benes, who gave up four hits in 7 2/3 innings, and was the winner.

St. Louis 0, Pittsburgh 0--After a 2 1/2-hour rain delay, the game was called off in the sixth inning. The teams will start over today.