NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Kent Helps New York Sweep Cincinnati

The trade of their best pitcher apparently did not dampen the enthusiasm of the New York Mets.

The day after 13-game winner David Cone was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Mets dealt a severe blow to the Cincinnati Reds’ hopes of winning the National League West.

Second baseman Jeff Kent, obtained in the Cone deal, played a big role in the second game as the Mets defeated the Reds, 4-3 and 12-1, in a doubleheader on a rainy Friday night at New York.

After Kevin Bass hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning off Rob Dibble to break a tie in the opener, the Mets clobbered the Reds with Kent driving in three runs and scoring twice.

Kent, who arrived just before the first game, went hitless in the opener, but had three hits and bowled over Cincinnati catcher Rick Wrona to score a run.

Wally Whitehurst, brought out of the bullpen to replace Cone in the rotation, had a no-hitter until Wrona singled with one out in the sixth in the nightcap. After a 38-minute delay because of rain, Whitehurst did not return.

The Reds had won four in a row and were challenging Atlanta for first place. With the Braves losing their fourth in a row, the Reds dropped to four games behind.

It was an unpleasant way for Red Manager Lou Piniella to celebrate his 49th birthday. He spent much of the time between games yelling at his players.

He brought Steve Foster out of the bullpen for his first start in the second game, but it did not have a positive result.

Kent, moved to the No. 3 spot despite going 0 for 4 in the opener, tripled home a run in the first, then jarred the ball loose from Wrona to score the second run on a sacrifice fly.

It was a surprising sweep inasmuch as the Mets are using a makeshift lineup because of a series of injuries. Bass is a recent acquisition. He homered in the first game to cut into the Reds’ 3-1 lead and Daryl Boston, another utility player, homered to tie it shortly before Bass came through with the bases loaded.

Philadelphia 7, Atlanta 3--The Braves’ slump continued in a rain-delayed game at Philadelphia.

The start was delayed almost two hours and the hitters seemed to benefit. Each team scored three runs in the first inning.

But Terry Mulholland settled down to pitch a seven-hitter for his 12th victory and Darren Daulton homered to send the Braves to their fourth loss in a row.

Mulholland retired 15 consecutive hitters after pitcher John Smoltz (14-9) singled to start the second inning.

Houston 8, Montreal 1--Pete Harnisch (5-9) struck out 10 batters, including five in a row, and the Astros stopped the Expos’ seven-game road winning streak.

Steve Finley had four hits and drove in three runs as the Astros, becoming readjusted to the Astrodome after being on the road for a month, won for the sixth time in the last seven games.

The streak put the Astros six games ahead of the Dodgers in the battle for last place in the West.

Chicago 3, San Francisco 2--When Mike Morgan walked off the mound after eight innings at Chicago, he felt like a loser. After all Bud Black had a four-hitter going and a 2-0 lead.

But the first Cub batter in the eighth, Rey Sanchez hit a hot one-hopper that hit Black in the pitching hand and the left-hander could not finish.

The hit by Sanchez ignited a three-run rally climaxed by Steve Buechele’s run-scoring single to make Morgan (13-6) a winner.

San Diego 11, Pittsburgh 6--The Padres turned on the power at San Diego.

Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff hit solo homers and Darrin Jackson hit a three-run home run to bring the Padres from behind in the fifth. Jerald Clark tripled with the bases loaded in the seventh.

The loss left the Pirates 2 1/2 games ahead of Montreal in the East.