NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gooden Keeping Mets Afloat

Dwight Gooden is more than the New York Mets’ stopper. He is preventing the team from complete collapse.

Gooden held the Pittsburgh Pirates to four hits in eight innings Wednesday night at New York and the Mets ended an eight-game losing streak, 7-1.

While the rest of the starting staff is struggling, Gooden has been a model of consistency. He has given the Mets at least seven solid innings in each of his past seven starts. Gooden (12-6) has won five in a row.

Just how bad would it be without Gooden? In games in which he hasn’t started since July 4, the Mets are 6-16.

In their eight consecutive losses, the Mets scored 10 runs. In Gooden’s five consecutive victories, they have scored 29 runs.

A defeat would have dropped the Mets 8 1/2 games behind the Pirates in the National League East. Although there are no signs the Mets are ready to challenge for first, they moved to within 6 1/2 games.

“There’s something different when Dwight is pitching,” second baseman Gregg Jefferies said. “I don’t know what. There’s a presence.”

It was the ninth loss in 11 games for the Pirates, but no other team in the East seems able to mount a challenge. With the St. Louis Cardinals losing, the Pirates’ lead stayed at 5 1/2 games.

San Francisco 1, Atlanta 0--Darren Lewis, who has made an impressive debut with the Giants this season, isn’t likely to forget his first major league home run.

Lewis, the first batter in the game, hit a drive over the left-field wall. It wound up being the only run at Atlanta and ended the Braves’ three-game winning streak.

Bud Black (9-9) and Dave Righetti combined on an eight-hitter. Righetti got the last three outs for his 17th save.

The loss dropped the Braves 3 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West. The Giants, who had lost three in a row, are nine games behind.

The Braves had scored 15 runs in winning the first two games of the series, but Black was tough in the clutch. He twice disposed of hot-hitting Terry Pendleton with runners in scoring position.

Montreal 1, St. Louis 0--The Expos had lost seven in a row. Mark Gardner, who pitched no-hit ball for nine innings against the Dodgers last month, wasn’t quite that sharp at Montreal, but it was enough.

He gave up only five hits in 8 1/3 innings and when Barry Jones retired the last two Cardinals, Gardner improved to 6-8.

It was the first victory for the Expos since Dennis Martinez pitched a perfect game against the Dodgers July 28.

San Diego 7, Houston 4--The Astros’ winning streak failed to reach double figures.

Bruce Hurst (14-5) won his fifth in a row and Jerald Clark hit a two-run double in a four-run eighth-inning rally at Houston that ended the Astros’ nine-game winning streak.

Hurst gave up four runs and seven hits. Larry Andersen gave up a run-scoring single before getting the final out.

Philadelphia 5, Chicago 4--Wes Chamberlain singled with the bases loaded and one out in the 11th inning at Philadelphia to give the Phillies their eighth victory in a row.

Mitch Williams (5-3) won for the fourth time in the past five games, all in extra innings. Les Lancaster was the loser for the second game in a row.

Tuesday night, the Cubs issued an intentional walk to load the bases for Dale Murphy, who hit a grand slam. This time they walked Darren Daulton to get to Chamberlain and were foiled again.