NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Strawberry Home Run Stirs Mets Again

A month ago, when Darryl Strawberry said he wanted a contract comparable to Jose Canseco’s, the New York Mets’ executives could have laughed.

They aren’t laughing now. They realize that to keep their slugging outfielder, there might have to come up with something close to the $23.5 million Canseco will get over five years from Oakland.

Strawberry is on a spree, and he is pulling the Mets along with him.

Strawberry hit another three-run home run Wednesday night at New York and Mike Marshall broke an eighth-inning tie with a sacrifice fly as the streaking Mets beat Houston, 7-4.

Howard Johnson, who went four for five, hit a two-run home run after Marshall put the Mets ahead.

The Mets have won 21 of their last 24 games, and the Astros, who fought back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game, have lost 16 of their last 17 road games.

“If the Mets want to keep me, they can prove it with a major offer,” Strawberry said soon after he began his streak, which includes 12 home runs in the last 22 games.

Although Dwight Gooden (8-5) was bothered by a blister on his pitching hand, he went eight innings, giving up four runs.

Montreal 5, Cincinnati 3--Dennis Martinez limited the Reds to five hits in eight innings at Montreal and his teammates got to Scott Scudder, recently recalled from the minors, quickly.

The Expos, who had lost six of their previous seven games, knocked Scudder out in a five-run first that featured a two-run single by Mike Aldrete and a two-run double by Andres Galarraga.

The Reds were without second baseman Mariano Duncan, who had a minor neck sprain after being involved in an auto accident on the way to the park.

San Francisco 9, St. Louis 2--Forced to find replacements for his injured starters, Manager Roger Craig has found two gems.

One of them, Trevor Wilson, improved to 5-0 with a shutout Tuesday night, and John Burkett (8-2) was the winner in this game at San Francisco.

Burkett held the Cardinals to four hits in seven innings and became a winner when the Giants scored four runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth.

San Diego 5, Pittsburgh 4--Despite anxious moments in the ninth inning at San Diego, the Padres ended their seven-game losing streak.

The Pirates, whose lead in the East was cut to half a game over the surging Mets, scored once in the ninth, had the tying run on second with one out and hot-hitting Barry Bonds at the plate.

Bonds hit a line drive, but shortstop Garry Templeton caught the smash and turned it into a game-ending double play.

Atlanta 4, Philadelphia 1--Dale Murphy hit a home run and drove in two runs at Philadelphia as the Braves again beat the Phillies.

Tom Glavine (5-5) was the winner, going 6 2/3 innings.