National League Roundup : Streaking Hernandez Helps Mets Defeat Reds

Keith Hernandez is back in the swing again.

The New York Mets first baseman took a day off last Sunday because he was batting only .191 with no home runs.

The rest may have been just what he needed.

Hernandez singled home Tim Teufel from second with two out in the ninth inning Friday night at Cincinnati to give the Mets a 5-4 victory, their third in a row.

Hernandez has been the star in each win. His 2 hits and 2 runs batted in this game gave him 6 for 13 with 11 RBIs in the last three games. After hitting three home runs in two games, he failed to hit one in this game.

The Reds didn’t give left-hander Danny Jackson much support. Jackson went seven innings, gave up five hits and four runs, but only one was earned. Two errors accounted for two unearned runs in the fourth and a 4-2 lead. Bo Diaz, who contributed to one unearned run, homered in the eighth to tie the game, only to have Hernandez break the tie.

“There are several things I don’t understand,� Hernandez said. “I don’t understand the courts and I don’t understand streaks or slumps.

“I don’t believe I ever had this many runs batted in in a week. And, here I have 11 in just three games.�

Montreal 6, Houston 4--Just when it appeared the Expos’ bullpen ace Tim Burke would never lose again, he did in this game at Houston.

Rafael Ramirez, who hits a home run about as often as Burke loses, hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off Burke. It was Burke’s first loss since Sept. 5, 1986.

It was Ramirez’s second home run since that date.

Burke won all seven decisions last season and won his first this year.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for,� Ramirez said after hitting a home run exactly a year after his previous home run. “I’ve been taking extra batting practice, and Gene Clines (batting instructor) has been working with me.�

Ramirez was batting .224.

San Diego 6, Pittsburgh 3--John Kruk and Chris Brown each drove in two runs at San Diego to support the 7-hit pitching of Andy Hawkins and Mark Davis.

Hawkins (3-1) pitched a 1-hitter in his previous outing but left after giving up five hits and all 3 runs in 6 innings. Davis finished up and earned the save when he struck out Barry Bonds with two runners on to end the game.

Although he gave up two hits and a walk, Davis struck out 5 and has 29 strikeouts in 19 innings of relief.

Brian Fisher, the Pirate starter, had to leave with a strained right shoulder, and the Padres jumped on Vicente Palacios (0-1).

San Francisco 4, Chicago 3--Sharp relief pitching by Atlee Hammaker and Don Robinson at San Francisco helped the Giants overcome two Andre Dawson home runs.

Hammaker and Robinson combined for five shutout innings after Mike Krukow departed with a sore shoulder after four.

The Giants broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fourth on a bunt single, a clean single and Brett Butler’s bloop single.

Rick Sutcliffe (1-3) went the distance for the Cubs. He gave up 11 hits, 3 walks and 3 wild pitches.