NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gooden Beats Cubs Again, but Mets Can’t Gain

The best time for the New York Mets to be without two of their top players is when Dwight Gooden is scheduled to pitch. Gooden seldom loses these days.

Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds were out because of injuries Friday night at New York, but Gooden, who brings out the best in the Mets’ bats, pitched another fine game.

Dave Magadan sparked the attack with four hits and Strawberry’s replacement, Pat Tabler, hit a three-run home run in a 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Gooden (19-6), who has lost once since June 2, set the Cubs down on five hits in eight innings and struck out 10. He has won his past eight decisions and 17 of his past 18. The Mets have scored 40 runs in Gooden’s last six starts.

Magadan, by going four for four, seems to be the only batter with a chance to prevent Willie McGee from winning the NL title in absentia. Magadan is hitting .330. McGee hit .335 with the Cardinals.

Strawberry has back spasms and McReynolds has an infected toe. It is doubtful that either will play today.

It was Gooden’s 10th win in a row over the Cubs and improved his lifetime record against them to 22-3, four of the victories this season.

“It is a little discouraging to win four in a row and not gain any ground,” Manager Bud Harrelson said.

“We owe a lot to Dwight Gooden. If we had not had a magnificent season from him, we wouldn’t be worrying about what the Pirates do. We’d already be out of it.”

The Cubs’ Ryne Sandberg hit his 39th home run, off Wally Whitehurst in the ninth inning.

Pittsburgh 6, St. Louis 4--The Pirates are not letting the Mets cut into their three-game lead.

Although John Smiley had another bad outing at St. Louis, Jay Bell and Barry Bonds came out of slumps and the Pirate bullpen had a big game.

Bell snapped a six-for-49 slump by hitting a three-run home run in the third inning to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead.

Smiley lost the lead, giving up a two-run home run to Pedro Guerrero, but three relievers held the Cardinals to three hits and no runs in the last 6 2/3 innings.

Bonds, who had been one for 13, had two hits, scored two and drove in another to pace the Pirates’ comeback for their fifth win in a row.

“I think the pressure is on the Mets,” Bell said. “They know they have to win every time out, because we are playing well again.”

Cardinal Manager Joe Torre, who picked the Mets to win the East in early September, now agrees with Bell.

“I thought the Mets would win it,” Torre said. “I thought they had the needed experience and the pitching. But even though we have had pretty good success against the Pirates, they have shown me. This is a team that has talent and a lot of fire.

“They will be tough to beat. They can score runs and their bullpen seems to be coming around.”

Philadelphia 5, Montreal 4--Len Dykstra came out of an 0-for-14 slump with a home run at Montreal and the Phillies handed the Expos their eighth loss in a row.

Two weeks ago, the Expos were in the race in the East and Dykstra had a solid shot at the batting title. Now, both are out of it.

Houston 2, Atlanta 1--The Braves ended a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the 10th inning at Houston. But Casey Candaele hit a two-run triple with one out in the bottom of the inning for the Astros.