National League Roundup : Rhoden Pitches Shutout, Hits Pair of Doubles

Right up until the interleague trading deadline, the Pittsburgh Pirates tried to accommodate pitcher Rick Rhoden.

The Angels, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees showed interest in the 33-year-old right-hander, but all thought the Pirates were asking too much for him.

“We had to laugh at them,” Hank Steinbrenner, son of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, told the Associated Press. “They think they’re going to get half a team for the guy.”

Reportedly, the Pirates wanted slugging third baseman Mike Pagliarulo for Rhoden. Although Pagliarulo is among the home run leaders in the American League, the Yankees, in position to challenge for the Eastern Division title, desperately need pitching.

Rhoden, who started asking to be traded in spring training, is having an excellent season for the worst team in the National League.

Friday night, the former Dodger pitched and batted the Pirates to a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Rhoden had two doubles, scored a run and improved his batting average to .304. His five-hitter raised his record to 11-6.

It was Rhoden’s first win over the Cardinals in almost three years and was his first shutout since Sept. 29, 1984.

Rhoden has accounted for more than one-fourth of the Pirate victories. Although repeating his desire to depart Pittsburgh between every start, Rhoden has pitched reasonably well every time out and brilliantly several times.

He has not been blessed with sensational support, though. In his six defeats, the Pirates have accumulated only 10 runs. He has not had an outing in which he gave up more than four runs.

Rhoden, whose contract expires after the 1987 season, will earn about $500,000 next season. His agent has asked Pirate General Manager Syd Thrift to start negotiating a long-term extension. Thrift has said he will not negotiate until the end of the season.

“I don’t think you will see owners offering long contracts anymore,” Rhoden said. “It’s especially true of pitchers. Their mortality rate is too high.”

New York 3, Montreal 1--It had been almost a month since Dwight Gooden won a game, but until the rains came at New York, he pitched the way he did last year.

Gooden gave up four hits and struck out seven, including six straight batters, in five innings, but after rain stopped play for 88 minutes, Gooden (11-4) gave way to Roger McDowell.

Gooden outpitched former high school teammate Floyd Youmans and enabled the Mets to stretch their lead over the Expos in the East to 16 1/2 games. It was Gooden’s first victory since July 4.

The Mets have a 67-32 record, easily the best in the majors.

Houston 6, San Diego 3--Kevin Bass hit a two-run home run in the first inning at San Diego, and Bob Knepper, with help from the bullpen, improved his record to 14-7.

Knepper gave way to Charlie Kerfeld in the seventh. Kerfeld, in turn, was replaced by Dave Smith after surrendering four consecutive singles in the eighth.

During one stretch, Knepper retired 17 Padres in a row.

Bass hit his home run off LaMarr Hoyt (5-7) to highlight a three-run first inning that enabled the Astros to retain their four-game lead in the West.

Philadelphia 4, Chicago 3--Jeff Stone felt the rain starting to fall when he came to the plate in the 11th inning at Philadelphia, so he was looking for a home run. He got it, his fourth of the season.

The homer came off Frank DiPino (1-5). DiPino entered the game in the 10th and struck out the side. He also struck out Gary Redus before facing Stone.

“I didn’t want to sit out a rain delay,” Stone said. “It was a fastball away, just where I like the pitch.”

San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1--Vida Blue allowed 1 run and 7 hits in 6 innings, and Joel Youngblood drove in a pair of runs for the Giants at San Francisco.

Blue (8-6) struck out five and walked three as he recorded the 207th win of his career. Scott Garrelts pitched two innings to earn his second save.

Rick Mahler (10-11) pitched 6 innings and gave up 10 hits and three runs to take the loss.

Blue’s shutout bid ended in the seventh when Ken Griffey powered his first pitch over the right-field fence for his sixth homer.

The win kept the second-place Giants four games behind Houston in the West.