Cubs Win, and Cardinals Lose a Little Ground : Fernandez Keeps Mets in Race, 6-1

Is it too late for the New York Mets? Nobody told Sid Fernandez, who pitched a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts and hit his first major league home run in a 6-1 victory at St. Louis that ended the Cardinals’ four-game winning streak and left them four games off the pace in the National League East.

Third-place New York stayed 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs, who beat Philadelphia. The Cardinals and Cubs have nine games remaining, and the Mets have 10 games left to play.

“That was a one-man show,” Met Manager Davey Johnson said. “When he’s getting his curveball over, like he was tonight, it can be a long night for people. That’s the best I’ve ever seen him get it over.”

Fernandez struck out the side in the fourth and ninth innings to win for the eighth time in 11 decisions. He also singled twice and scored the first run in New York’s four-run third off Rick Horton (0-3).

Fernandez was batting .167 with five RBIs before Thursday.

Fernandez retired the first 13 batters, striking out seven of them, before Terry Pendleton’s fly ball to left-center with one out in the fifth fell just beyond diving left fielder Kevin McReynolds for a triple. With two out, Fernandez yielded a run-scoring single to Todd Zeile.

Darryl Strawberry, who was hitting just .173 on the road, singled home two runs in the third. McReynolds and Juan Samuel added an RBI apiece.