BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Gooden Is Much Better as Mets Beat Cubs, 4-1

Theories concerning Dwight Gooden abounded when the New York Mets right-hander began the season with two consecutive defeats.

Some observers thought Gooden was tipping off his pitches. Others said he wasn’t fully recovered from an arm injury.

Gooden quieted his doubters at least temporarily Thursday in New York as the Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-1.

After surrendering 10 runs on 14 hits in 7 2/3 innings in his first two games, Gooden limited the Cubs to one run on four hits in seven innings to earn the victory.

Gooden, who has never lost three consecutive decisions, struck out seven and walked two while improving to 19-3 against the Cubs.

“I’m still not where I’d like to be,” said Gooden, who is 18-6 in April. “I was just fighting myself before. I made mistakes in my first few games and I tried to learn from them.”

Gooden went on the disabled list with a torn shoulder muscle last July and did not return until September for a few brief appearances.

He was roughed up for five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings on opening day against Pittsburgh and lost his second start to Montreal, allowing five runs on seven hits in just three innings.

The Mets felt Gooden was tipping his pitches, particularly the way he would look in his glove before a fastball, but not before a curve.

“Maybe I was,” Gooden said of the accusations. “I tried to do some things differently.”

The Mets scored two runs in the fourth inning, using three walks, a hit batter and Dave Magadan’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly. They scored their final runs in the fifth on a two-run double by Howard Johnson that knocked out Cub starter Mike Harkey (1-1).

The Cubs got their only run in the fifth when leadoff batter Joe Girardi scored from third on Jerome Walton’s single through a drawn-in infield.

John Franco held the Cubs hitless in the final two innings for his third save.

Baltimore 4, Detroit 2--Oriole fans, anxious to cheer a team that went from the cellar to second place in the American League East last season, finally got their chance as the Orioles took advantage of eight walks in their first game at Baltimore.

The Orioles were supposed to open at Memorial Stadium on April 2, but the owners’ lockout altered the schedule and sent them on an eight-game road trip when the season opened a week late.

Returning home to a crowd of 49,288, the Orioles sent eight men to the plate in the first inning an took a 2-0 lead.

After Phil Bradley doubled and Steve Finley singled, Detroit’s Kevin Ritz (0-3) walked Randy Milligan, Mickey Tettleton and Joe Orsulak to force in two runs.

Dave Johnson (2-0) scattered seven hits over six innings to earn the victory. Gregg Olson pitched the ninth inning to earn his fourth save and extended his club record of 25 consecutive scoreless appearances, the most since Warren Brusstar of the 1983 Cubs put together 25 scoreless outings.

Cleveland 1, N.Y. Yankees 0--Left-hander Greg Swindell rebounded from a terrible first start and pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings at Cleveland in the Indians twice-delayed home opener.

The Indians’ first two scheduled home games, April 10-11 against the Yankees, were postponed by rain, snow and cold temperatures. Thursday’s game was a makeup of the April 10 game and drew a crowd of only 6,000, the smallest ever for an Indians’ home opener.