NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : After Sour Opener, Mets Get Sweet Music From Viola, 3-0

On opening day, the New York Mets played as if they were the original Mets of 1962. They couldn’t catch, throw or hit the ball and they were trounced by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Met team generally considered the best in the National League showed up for the second game Wednesday afternoon in New York.

Frank Viola, who said all winter that the Mets did not see the real Frank Viola last season, pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, Gregg Jefferies hit a leadoff home run and the Mets beat the Pirates, 3-0.

Viola, the Cy Young winner when he was 24-7 for Minnesota in 1988, gave up five singles, struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter. John Franco, a teammate of Viola’s at St. John’s a few years ago, got the last four outs for his first save as a Met.

Viola, acquired last August to give the Mets an edge in the pennant drive, was beaten in four of his first five starts and the Mets finished six games behind the Chicago Cubs in the East.

“I grew up in New York and always wanted to pitch for the Mets,” Viola said. “I pretended I was Tug McGraw. I was disappointed that I wasn’t at my best last season.

“Today, I was setting up my change with a good fastball, and when I have three pitches going I’m tough to beat.”

Viola impressed Barry Lyons, now the Mets’ No. 1 catcher. “He was so sharp,” Lyons said, “that even if the hitters guessed what was coming, they couldn’t hit it.”

Pirate starter John Smiley went into the game with a 7-1 lifetime record against the Mets. But after Jefferies opened with a home run, his third off Smiley, Keith Miller doubled and scored on Darryl Strawberry’s opposite-field single to left.

San Francisco 8-3, Atlanta 0-4--Other people may worry about it, because he’ll be 41 next month, but Rick Reuschel was unfazed by his poor spring showing.

When it really counted, the big right-hander took charge at Atlanta. He gave up just three hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Giants romped in the first game of a doubleheader.

In the second game, rookie Mark Lemke’s bases-loaded single in the second inning enabled the Braves to jump in front early.

The doubleheader was scheduled because the first two games of the series were rained out. Only 11,083 turned up in chilly weather.

Reuschel had a 7.07 earned-run average in spring training.

“He’s an amazing man,” Giants’ Manager Roger Craig said. “He’s never had a good spring, but he always has a good opening day.”

Cincinnati 5, Houston 0--Lou Piniella is enjoying his start as manager of the Reds.

Jack Armstrong and Rick Mahler combined on a four-hitter as the Reds completed a three-game sweep at Houston.

Armstrong went six innings, giving up three hits, while Mahler pitched the last three for his first save since 1981.

Todd Benzinger doubled in the first run in the second inning and Eric Davis hit a two-run double in a three-run third inning.

Montreal 6, St. Louis 4--Oil Can Boyd may prove to be quite a bargain at $400,000 for the Expos. Boyd, who missed four months last year because of a blood clot in his right shoulder, won his NL debut at St. Louis.

Boyd, who signed as a free agent for well below the average salary in the majors, pitched six innings, giving up four hits and three runs.

Pedro Guerrero hit his first homer for the Cardinals.