NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Mets Give Gooden the Worst, 4-3

Dwight Gooden, in the last couple of years, has begun straightening out his life and putting his physical problems behind him.

A seven-year veteran at 25, the New York Met right-hander can find nothing wrong that a few victories wouldn’t correct.

That’s the rub. Maybe he isn’t pitching as well as he did when he was only 20 and had a 24-4 record with an earned-run average of 1.53, but he should be much better than 2-3.

Gooden was breezing along with a three-hitter and a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning Wednesday at San Francisco. Gooden not only didn’t win, the Mets lost in the 10th, 4-3, when Kevin Mitchell tagged Alejandro Pena for his eighth home run.

The Giants, 2-11 at Candlestick Park when the Mets arrived, swept the three-game series.

Gooden was gone after he walked Brett Butler and Will Clark hit a two-run home run in the eighth. John Franco took over and Kevin Bass homered to tie the score and set the stage for Mitchell to win it.

Gooden, who leads the majors with 61 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings, has pitched well in five of his last six starts, but has only two victories to show for it.

In the five outings, he has pitched 37 1/3 innings, given up eight runs and 26 hits, while striking out 48 batters.

“At first, after the arm surgery last year, I was a little concerned,” Gooden said. “But I’m not now. I know I can still win. Right now we are having problems. It will straighten out and we will start winning.”

The Mets blew a chance to break the game open in the sixth. Singles by Dave Magadan, Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry made the score 3-0. After Scott Garrelts walked Kevin McReynolds to load the bases, Ed Vosburg replaced him and was sensational.

He disposed of Mark Carreon and Mackey Sasser on short fly balls, and Kevin Elster grounded out to end the inning.

St. Louis 10, Houston 6--The Cardinals had a 3-10 record against left-handers, so Manager Whitey Herzog tried a new lineup.

He had Ozzie Smith leading off at St. Louis and speedster Vince Coleman batting eighth. It worked. Smith went two for four and scored three runs, and Coleman hit his first home run of the season. The Cardinals routed left-hander Jim Deshaies in a seven-run fifth inning.

“I’ve now batted first, second, third, fifth, sixth and eighth,” Smith said. “I hope this lineup lasts.”

Bryn Smith (5-3), who had a hit and scored a run in the big rally, had a no-hitter through five, but needed help in the seventh.

The fading Astros have lost six in a row and nine of their past 10.

Philadelphia 6, San Diego 5--Von Hayes hit a two-run home run off Ed Whitson in the first inning at San Diego and the Phillies barely held on.

The Padres, trailing, 6-3, rallied in the ninth. They scored twice and had runners on first and third with one out with Tony Gwynn up.

Gwynn hit a shot that shortstop Dickie Thon grabbed on one hop and turned into a game-ending double play.

“I hit it on the screws,” said Gwynn, who has been the league batting champion the last three years, “but right at Dickie.”

The Padres missed a chance to tie on the play when Bip Roberts singled with runners on second and third. Garry Templeton hesitated leaving second and did not score.

“How can he not score on that play?” Phillie Tom Herr said.

Atlanta 4, Chicago 0--John Smoltz pitched a five-hitter at Atlanta for his first major league shutout.

Smoltz (2-4) struck out nine batters, including hot-hitting Andre Dawson three times.

Odibe McDowell’s two-run double helped hand Greg Maddux a defeat after four consecutive victories against the Braves.