NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Smith Is Hitting, Cardinals Are Winning

After his first eight games this season Ozzie Smith was batting only .128. The St. Louis Cardinals talked of trading him. It appeared nobody was interested in a 36-year-old shortstop who was about to become a free agent.

In spring training, as the Cardinals’ worked on a youth movement, Smith wondered out loud what the plans were for himself and veteran Pedro Guerrero.

No problem. St. Louis has moved into contention in the National League East with the two veterans blending with solid young talent.

Smith is just about the hottest hitter in the majors, and the Cardinals have surged into second place behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.

One of Smith’s four hits in Sunday’s 14-4 romp over the Mets in New York knocked Dwight Gooden out of the game. Gooden (5-4) was struck on the left wrist by a Smith line drive. X-rays were negative, and he will be able to make his next scheduled start.

The Cardinals had 11 of their 23 hits off Gooden but only five runs.

Smith scored three runs, and catcher Tom Pagnozzi emerged from a slump with two singles, a double and a rare triple. He drove in six runs.

Guerrero had three hits, scored four runs and drove in two.

Smith’s binge improved his average to .329. Since his poor start, during which the Cardinals were 3-5, he has batted .406 and the Cardinals are 21-13.

Cris Carpenter (6-1) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Omar Olivares.

The Mets, who lead the majors in errors, had two more for 42 and at least two of the Cardinal hits were questionable.

Smith, who has not made an error in 50 games going back to last season, has an explanation for the change in the Cardinals, who were last in 1990 with a 70-92 record.

“It was really messed up around here last year,” Smith said. “Willie (McGee), Terry (Pendleton) and Vince (Coleman) didn’t know where they were going. Everyone was confused. There was too much instability for there to be any continuity.

“Things have a way of working out. Now, everybody’s been contributing.”

Chicago 8, Montreal 6--Jim Essian’s record as manager remains perfect after five games. It’s as if he’s doing it with magic.

In this one at Chicago the Cubs had to overcome a 6-0 deficit.

Pinch-hitter George Bell hit a three-run home run to culminate a seven-run rally that stunned the Expos.

Dennis Martinez was breezing with a 6-1 lead in the seventh inning, but he got only one more out, and Tim Burke and Barry Jones’ couldn’t prevent the Expos’ fifth loss in a row.

Pittsburgh 5, Philadelphia 2--Left-hander John Smiley, bouncing back from an off-season, improved to 7-1 with eight strong innings at Pittsburgh. He needed help in the ninth before the Pirates completed the three-game sweep.

The Pirates (26-15) have the best record in the majors and lead the East by 2 1/2 games.

San Francisco 10, Atlanta 6--Bud Black didn’t get a chance to bat in nine seasons in the American League. Maybe if he had he would have had better than an 83-82 record.

The left-hander’s hitting is one reason he has a 5-4 record with the Giants. Black had a two-run single and a double at Atlanta, raising his average to .320.

Will Clark was walked intentionally to load the bases in the sixth inning with the Giants leading, 3-2. Black laced a liner to right to score two runs.

Houston 13, San Diego 3--Rookie Luis Gonzalez hit a home run and two doubles and drove in four runs in a rare rout for the Astros’ at Houston.

Gonzalez missed a homer in the first inning when his double hit just below the yellow line at the top of the wall. Mark Portugal (5-1) won his 10th in a row in the Astrodome.