Major League Baseball Roundup : Gooden Can’t Halt Mets’ Giant Hang-Up, 5-2

Roger Craig will take everything he can get against the New York Mets. He’d just like it to carry over when the San Francisco Giants play the rest of the National League, especially the West.

The Giants scored four runs in the seventh inning and handed Dwight Gooden his first defeat of the season, 5-2, Thursday night at New York to run their record to 5-1 against the NL East-leading Mets.

“I’d like to win five out of six from every club,” said Craig, the Giants’ manager. “But I’d rather win five out of six from Houston, Cincinnati or Los Angeles.”

Howard Johnson homered in the bottom of the sixth to give the Mets a 2-1 lead, and Gooden (8-1) had settled down from an erratic start,

Candy Maldonado led off with a single and took third when Bob Brenly blooped a single on a hit-and-run play. Jose Uribe singled to score Maldonado with the tying run and send Brenly to third.

Harry Spilman pinch hit for Rick Reuschel (6-3) and grounded out to score Brenly with the go-ahead run, Brett Butler doubled home Uribe and Robby Thompson sent Gooden to the showers with a single that scored Butler.

The Mets have a major league best 31-13 record. San Francisco swept New York earlier this month at Candlestick Park and took 2 of 3 in this series.

New York is 15-6 in the last 21 games, 5 of the losses to the Giants.

“We’re not happy about it,” Keith Hernandez said. “But we’re through with them until August. Then it’s pay-back time.”

Montreal 6, San Diego 2--Tim Wallach had three hits, and Nelson Santovenia hit his first major league homer as the Expos completed a three-game sweep of the Padres at Montreal.

Bryn Smith (3-3) allowed seven hits in six innings for the victory, his sixth in eight career decisions against San Diego.

Detroit 4, Milwaukee 3--Darrell Evans celebrated his 41st birthday with his 384th career home run, and Lou Whitaker added another solo shot as the Tigers beat the Brewers at Detroit.

Frank Tanana (8-2) allowed six hits, walked 4 and struck out 5 in 7 innings. He was removed when Glenn Braggs hit a two-run homer, shaving Detroit’s lead to 4-3.

Texas 8, Toronto 7--Ruben Sierra singled home Scott Fletcher with one out in the ninth to rally the Rangers past the Blue Jays at Arlington, Tex.

Fred McGriff had a two-run double and a two-run single for Toronto, but the Blue Jays couldn’t hold 5-1 and 7-4 leads.