NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Tomlin Helps the Pirates Stay Positive, 3-1

Manager Jim Leyland didn’t let his Pittsburgh Pirates dwell on the recent eight-game losing streak that prevented them from blowing open the race in the National League East.

Taking the positive approach, Leyland pointed out that the Pirates had another chance. Their next seven games would be against their two pursuers, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.

Randy Tomlin, already something of a Met menace although he has barely been in the majors a year, sent the Pirates off to a good start in their bid to sweep the week. Tomlin pitched a four-hitter in a 3-1 victory Tuesday night at New York.

Lloyd McClendon hit a two-run home run in the second inning against Sid Fernandez and the 25-year-old Tomlin made quick work of the Mets. The left-hander, a throwback to pitchers who used to work quickly, is 4-0 against the Mets, who have lost seven in a row.

Tomlin (7-4) beat the Mets twice in April and the only time he faced them last season. In 23 innings against them this season he has given up only four runs.

The Mets tried backing out of the batter’s box to slow him down, but they still couldn’t hit Tomlin, whose curveballs and changes of speed baffled them.

Kevin McReynolds tripled in the second inning and, after Hubie Brooks walked with two out, scored the Met run on a double steal.

Barry Bonds, who had three hits, doubled to open the ninth and scored. Tomlin then breezed through the ninth for his fourth complete game in his last nine starts.

“These are pros,” Leyland said. “You don’t pick on them when they’re in a slump. I told them they hadn’t lost anything except a chance to blow it open. Now, they have another one.”

The Mets were hoping for a sweep of the three-game series, but they lost for the 11th time in 13 games and are 7 1/2 games behind in the East. Three weeks ago they were 2 1/2 behind and talking pennant.

“We weren’t going to panic when we were on the losing streak,” Tomlin said. “We’re too good for that.”

The Mets might have panicked. Manager Bud Harrelson, booed every time he appears on the field, and General Manager Frank Cashen held a postgame meeting with the players.

“You can’t find anything good in something like this,” said infielder Howard Johnson, who has gone into a tailspin after a great first half.

Atlanta 10, San Francisco 6--The Cardinals always expected third baseman Terry Pendleton to develop into an outstanding hitter. They were disappointed.

As it turned out, all Pendleton needed was to play in a hitter’s park.

In Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, he is reaching expectations.

Pendleton had four hits, two of them home runs, drove in four runs and scored four and the Braves kept pace with the Dodgers in the West.

With 58 games to play, Pendleton has 13 home runs, tying his career high. He is hitting .337 and has driven in 59 runs.

While the Braves are only 2 1/2 games behind in the West, the Giants, who were the hottest team in baseball a week ago, have lost three in a row and are nine games behind the Dodgers.

Houston 6, San Diego 1--It might be too late for them to climb out of the cellar in the West, but the young Astros are having fun.

Casey Candaele had three hits and drove in two runs as the Astros scored their ninth consecutive victory.

Rookie Luis Gonzalez tripled and doubled for the Astros and another rookie, Darryl Kile (5-6), gave up five hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia 6, Chicago 2--Lenny Dykstra and Dale Murphy have revived the Phillie offense.

Dykstra hit a home run leading off the ninth inning at Philadelphia to send the game into extra innings.

He walked to open the 11th inning and Murphy extended the Phillies’ winning streak to seven games when he hit a grand slam with one out.

Former Cub Mitch Williams (4-3) pitched the 11th to get the victory.

There were 13 pitchers in the game.

St. Louis 7, Montreal 6--The Cardinals had to overcome a five-run deficit at St. Louis and needed the help of two errors in the 10th to remain 5 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh.

It was the 27th time this season that the Cardinals came from behind to win.

Tom Pagnozzi scored from third when first baseman Larry Walker misplayed Ray Lankford’s grounder with the bases loaded and one out. Earlier in the inning, shortstop Bret Barberie fumbled Milt Thompson’s double-play grounder.