National League Roundup : Gooden and Mets Beat the Heat and Pirates, 3-0

The temperature is heating up in the East, but in the National League East, the race is not so hot.

In New York, where the record-setting temperature was hotter (96 degrees) than Dwight Gooden’s fastball, the Mets turned back the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-0, Wednesday to take a commanding 7 1/2-game lead in the division.

It was worse in Philadelphia. At game time in Veterans Stadium, the temperature on the artificial turf was 130 degrees as the Phillies cooled off the Chicago Cubs.

Gooden, not always effective in the daytime, gave up nine hits, but staggered through eight innings and improved his record to 10-3.

“It was tough out there, tough to breathe,� Gooden told the Associated Press. “I went sleeveless for, I think, the first time ever. I was a little superstitious without them but it was just too hot.�

Gooden worked out of several jams before ending his personal two-game losing streak and giving the Mets a 2-1 edge in the first series of the season against their closest pursuers.

“That was a gutty effort,� Met Manager Davey Johnson said. “It was smoking out there. Before the game we said Doc would throw about 110 pitches. He ended up with about 125.�

Gooden said he told Johnson to take him out after eight because of the heat. Roger McDowell replaced Gooden and disposed of the first two Pirates in the ninth. But he gave up two hits, then walked Jose Lind to load the bases. Left-hander Randy Myers got Andy Van Slyke on a grounder to second and registered his 11th save.

As it turned out, consecutive doubles by Howard Johnson and Mackey Sasser in the second were all the Mets needed.

“It’s a long season,� Van Slyke said. “There are hitting slumps, pitching slumps and injuries. Hopefully, they will have them and we won’t.�

Philadelphia 5, Chicago 3--Everyone was getting the hot foot at Veterans Stadium. When the Phillies made a pitching change in the fourth inning, even the umpires went into the dugouts for a brief respite.

“It was darn hot,� Mike Schmidt said after driving in two runs and moving into a tie for 23rd with Willie Stargell on the all-time runs-batted-in list. “You just can’t get adrenaline flowing when it’s this hot.�

The pitching change was made necessary when a line drive by Vance Law of the Cubs hit Mike Maddux on the elbow. Maddux suffered a severe bruise.

The second loss in a row after six straight victories dropped the Cubs nine games behind the Mets.

San Francisco 8, San Diego 7--Will Clark capped the best game of his young career with a two-out, three-run double in the ninth to give the Giants a dramatic victory.

The 24-year-old first baseman wound up with four hits, including a three-run home run in the fifth. He drove in seven runs and has 56 for the season.

The bases-clearing blow came on a two-out, 3-and-2 pitch from Padre bullpen ace Mark Davis and completed a four-run rally. Until Clark’s hit, Davis, a former Giant, had 13 saves in his last 13 chances.

Clark had two strikes before all four hits. The only time he made an out came on a liner to shortstop.

The Giants lost 9 of their previous 11 games. The defending champions in the West are two games under .500.

Houston 5, Cincinnati 1--Just five days ago, the Reds sent third baseman Buddy Bell to the Astros. Already, he has helped beat his former mates twice.

After getting a double to drive in a run and score another in a 3-1 victory Tuesday at Houston, Bell came back with a two-run double in a four-run rally in the eighth inning Wednesday.

Juan Agosto, working two innings in relief of Bob Knepper, gained his fifth win without a loss.

Montreal 6, St. Louis 2--Rookie catcher Nelson Santovenia drove in three runs with a double and a single at Montreal to help the Expos complete a sweep of the three-game series.

Bryn Smith and Joe Hesketh combined on a six-hitter in the Expos’ seventh consecutive win at home.

The Cardinals, hurt by injuries all season, learned that first baseman Bob Horner will undergo exploratory surgery Monday to determine the extent of an injury to his left shoulder.