NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Viola Beats Pirates for Third Victory in a Row

For most of the last decade, the New York Mets have been the dominant force in the East. They have featured pitching and power.

As the Mets begin a new era, they still have the pitching, but, instead of power, they have based their offense on speed.

Frank Viola overcame a shaky start to pitch the Mets to a 2-0 victory, end the Pittsburgh Pirates’ six-game winning streak Friday night and move into a tie for first place with the Pirates.

Viola, who had to work out of trouble in the first three innings, went eight innings to win his third in a row. John Franco got the last two outs.

The Mets’ team earned-run average is 2.47. But they are batting only .213.

With the departure of slugger Darryl Strawberry and the arrival of speedster Vince Coleman, the Mets have undergone a transformation. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the long ball, they scratch for runs.

Their first run off Zane Smith (2-1) scored on Howard Johnson’s two-out infield hit. The other came in on the fleet feet of Coleman. After forcing pitcher Bob Kipper to hurry and fumble his slow roller, Coleman stole second and third, then scored on Dave Magadan’s two-out single.

Coleman and right fielder Hubie Brooks made diving catches and Johnson made two gems at third base.

“I was too strong at the beginning tonight,” Viola, who was a 20-game winner for the Mets last season, said. “I was overthrowing. . . . The defense saved me tonight. It was one of the best defensive games I’ve ever had behind me.”

San Diego 4, Philadelphia 0--Tony Fernandez was three for five, scored a run and drove in two at Philadelphia to raise his average to .319 and help Bruce Hurst improve to 2-0. The Padres are 6-1 on the road.

Hurst held the Phillies to five hits in seven innings. The Phillies are 1-3 since Jim Fregosi replaced Nick Leyva as manager.

Tony Gwynn had two hits and drove in two runs and raised his average to .373. Gwynn has helped the Padres to an 11-6 start and the lead in the West.

“It’s all coming together for us,” Hurst said, “and it doesn’t seem to matter where we play. We’ve got a lot of talent both on offense and in the pitching department. It’s a solid team.”

Cincinnati 3, Chicago 1--Jose Rijo, the World Series Most Valuable Player, finally earned his first victory.

After Barry Larkin led off the bottom of the first inning with only his second hit in the last 23 at-bats, Paul O’Neill followed with a home run and that’s all Rijo needed.

Until he tired in the ninth inning, Rijo gave up only two hits, one a check-swing double. After he gave up two hits in the ninth, Rob Dibble came in to get the last out for his third save.

It was the seventh loss in the last eight games for the Cubs and their problems were magnified when Mike Harkey had to leave after three innings because a strained right shoulder.

St. Louis 4, Montreal 0--Felix Jose had four hits at St. Louis, scored a run and drove in one to make it easy for Bryn Smith to improve his record to 3-0.

Jose had two singles, a double and a triple to raise his average to .377.

Jose, who had three hits Tuesday against Chicago, has driven in seven runs in the last five games and is batting .436 with runners in scoring position.

Smith held the slumping Expos to five hits in seven innings. Juan Agosto went the last two innings for his first save.

Amid rumors that Bob Rodgers will be the next manager to be fired, the last-place Expos have lost six in a row.

The Expos extended their scoreless string to 26 innings. Oil Can Boyd (0-3) never really had much of a chance. He gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings. He has lost five in a row since last Sept. 12.

Atlanta 7, Houston 2--Ron Gant doubled twice and drove in two runs and the Braves ended a nine-game losing streak to the Astros in the Astrodome.

Charlie Leibrandt (2-1) struck out five and gave up a run and six hits in seven innings to pitch the first Braves’ victory in Houston since Sept. 27, 1989.

The Braves gave Leibrandt all the runs he needed in the first inning. Two throwing errors by losing pitcher Jim Deshaies helped keep the inning alive and the Braves wound up with three runs.