Raines Starts Season 4 for 5--His Slam in 10th Beats Mets, 11-7

Spring training. Who needs it? Obviously, Tim Raines doesn’t.

The National League batting champion, in a season’s debut right out of a fairy tale, hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to give the Montreal Expos a wild, 11-7 victory over the Mets in a nationally televised game Saturday at New York.

Not only did the fleet outfielder miss spring training, he sat out the first month of the season. Baseball people say spring training is a must, but Raines’ training consisted of a women’s aerobics class, working out with his former high school team and playing in a simulated game in Florida Friday.

As a free agent who attempted to sign with another club, Raines was not eligible to contact his old club until Friday. He signed as soon as the deadline passed and said he was ready to play right away.

It was an understatement. He almost homered on the first pitch he saw thrown by Met rookie Dave Cone. He settled for a triple off the right-field wall.

Before he came up in the 10th, he already had a sensational debut. He beat out a routine grounder to short in the ninth to ignite a two-run rally that sent the game into extra innings. He had another single, a walk, stole a base and scored another run.

Then, after Reid Nichols and Casey Candaele opened the extra inning with singles, and Herm Winningham beat out a bunt, Raines hit a 1-and-0 pitch from Jesse Orosco over the left-field fence.

He said he had many dreams about his return, but the real thing exceeded the best one.

“I never expected this,” he told the Associated Press. “I thought I might be rusty, but I was comfortable at the plate, and that was important. I wasn’t overmatched.

“The first pitch from Orosco was a slider, then I sat on a fastball. That’s exactly what Orosco threw, and I got a great swing.

“I was in shape because I dedicated myself to getting ready.”

Raines, who hit .334 last season, offered himself to several other clubs, including the Dodgers, but found no takers. Baseball owners vowed to cut down on high, lengthy contracts, and the 27-year-old, a six-time All-Star, returned to the Expos.

While keeping himself in shape, Raines, at first opportunity, agreed to a three-year deal for $4.8 million. He has already paid a dividend to a club that figures to finish far back in the race.

The Mets’ Wally Backman probably echoed the feelings of a number of other major leaguers. “Tim Raines could turn a team around,” the second baseman said. “It’s surprising to see so many teams didn’t want him.”

Until Raines’ heroics, it was Darryl Strawberry’s day. The former Crenshaw High star hit a two-run home run, made a sparkling, diving catch to spoil an Expo rally and did some heads-up baserunning.

His home run in the fourth inning was his seventh of the season and tied the game, 3-3. His smart baserunning came in the sixth, when the Mets broke a tie and took a 6-4 lead. Strawberry opened the inning with a single and stole second. He then stole third to get into position to score on Dave Magadan’s fly and put the Mets back in front.

With Raines going 4 for 5, the Expos had 20 hits, the most by any team in the majors this season.

Orosco was the loser, and Randy St. Claire (2-0) got the victory. He needed help from Andy McGaffigan in the 10th after the Mets loaded the bases with one out. An infield out produced one run, but, with Strawberry on deck representing the tying run, Gary Carter looked at a third strike to end the four-hour contest.

Chicago 7, San Diego 3--At Chicago, Andre Dawson, the new Wrigley Field favorite, hit his fifth home run in the last eight games, and an old favorite, Ryne Sandberg, delivered the blow that handed the Padres their fourth loss in a row.

Sandberg hit a three-run home run in the seventh off Ed Whitson (3-3) to break a 3-3 tie and give Steve Trout (2-1) the victory.

Dawson’s home run was his eighth. Leon Durham hit his seventh in the fourth inning right after Dawson hit his.

Atlanta 12, Houston 4--Pinch-hitter Graig Nettles hit a grand slam in the sixth inning at Atlanta and Dion James hit one in the seventh to make it a romp for the Braves.

The Braves held only a 4-2 lead when they loaded the bases with two out and brought Nettles in to bat for Gary Roenicke. It was Nettles’ second home run in the National League.

The Astros had beaten the Braves nine times in a row, four of them this season.

Pittsburgh 1, San Francisco 0--Former Dodgers R. J. Reynolds and Sid Bream teamed to account for the only run at Pittsburgh, and four pitchers held the Giants to four hits.

Bream reached on an error by shortstop Jose Uribe with two out in the eighth and went to second on Jim Morrison’s single. Reynolds then smashed a drive off first baseman Will Clark’s glove, and Bream scored when catcher Bob Brenly couldn’t handle the throw home.

Bob Walk started in place of ailing Bob Kipper and went six innings. John Smiley won it in relief.

Philadelphia 8, Cincinnati 3--Mike Schmidt, honored before the game for hitting 500 home runs, hit No. 503, a two-run shot, and had two other hits at Philadelphia.

The Phillies jumped on Tom Browning for six hits and five runs and knocked him out in the second inning. The Reds have lost eight games, and Browning has lost four of them.