(c) Houston Astros |
by Ed Fowler, Houston Chronicle
James Rodney Richard strung out his bargain-basement merchandise and the New York Mets went for it like beady-eyed ferrets in the garment district Friday night as the Astros secured a 7-4 victory.
Richard's 100th career victory lacked the volatility of one of his hellfire-and-brimstone masterpieces, but he still bamboozled the Mets on three hits before leaving after 8 1/3 innings with soreness in his right shoulder. He struck out eight, all in the first six innings, to hype his Natonal League-high total to 40.
"He didn't have his good stuff," said catcher Alan Ashby. "I think all this does is point out what the big man can do when he doesn't have that good stuff. He flirted with that no-hitter again."
Richard didn't allow a hit until Mike Jorgensen singled leading off the fifth inning. Beginning with the last two outs in that inning, he retired eight straight hitters, but he hit some *s in the eighth, allowing the Mets' second run, and took his leave after walking two of the first three men he faced in the ninth.
"I don't know if the soreness affected his delivery," manager Bill Virdon said, "but he was out of gas when I went out to get him in the ninth. He was struggling the last couple of innings and I didn't think he had very good stuff after the fourth."
The 6-foot-8 pitcher attributed his less-than-phenomenal performance to a Thursday sabbatical.
"My shoulder tightened up," he said. "I was just pumped I took the day off Thursday, an open date, just did absolutely nothing. The next time I'll run. Your body gets in the habit of running and you should run every day."
He said he attached no particular significance to his 100th victory. "A lot of things have happened to me in baseball," he said. "It doesn't faze me, doesn't bother me at all. Maybe one day it'll dawn on me and I'll break up. I give all the credit to God."
He improved his record to 3-0 in four starts, losing a hitless streak at 9 1/3 innings with Jorgensen's hit in the fifth and scoreless run of 13 innings, also in the fifth. He had pitched a one-hit shutout in Los Angeles in his previous start last Saturday. His earned run average -- all four New Yourk runs were charged to him -- rose from 0.82 to 1.60.
Still, an appreciative assembly of 24,140 fans gavehim an enthusiastic ovation for his three-hit, four-walk outing as he left in the ninth. In addition to the one-hitter, he has pitched a two-hitter this year, also against the Dodgers.
Richard leapt to a 4-0 start last season before losing his next four decisions and seven of the next nine. "If I keep getting seven runs a game," he said, "I think I can keep it up this year."
As Richard, 30, improved his lifetime record against the Mets to 9-2, Jeff Leonard struck a blow that someday may prove more significant as he graced the Astros' 12-hit attack with his first major league home run. Leading off the fifth, Leonard mangled Pete Falcone's first pitch, powering it more than 400 feet into the left-center field bleachers.
Leonard said, "I want to dedicate it to my late sister-in-law, Linda Scott, who never saw me play." Miss Scott, who lived in Philadelphia, died at age 20 of heart disease in February, Leonard said.
The strapping outfielder has the physique of a power hitter but did not hit a home run in an outstanding rookie season in 1979. He suffered from what is called an inside-out swing, which usually resulted in his pushing the ball to the opposite field.
"My swing is different," Leonard said. "I feel I can drive the ball more, hit more doubles. I hit that one good. I thought it was a double or a triple."
He saw the ball bounce in an aisle shortly after he rounded first base and slowed into one of the most exaggerated Cadillac routines the game has known, taking the last 10 steps to the plate at a slow walk.
"I wasn't hot-dogging," he said. "I just always do that, did it when I hit one in the minors. Enos (Cabell) was lying down flat in the dugout, like it was a miracle or something."
"He hasn't straightened out his swing entirely," Virdon said, "but he's working at it. He's putting in a lot of time trying to improve."
Leonard also scored a first-inning run when he singled, moved up on Craig Reynolds' sacrifice and scored on Art Howe's two-out hit. Cabell's double and Ashby's two-out single produced another in the fourth. In the sixth, Cabell and Jose Cruz singled. Ashby drew an intentional walk and Richard's ground ball and an error generated two more.
The Astros gave Richard a 7-1 lead in the seventh as Craig Reynolds doubled, Joe Morgan singled, Howe doubled and Cabell singled.
The Mets scored their final two runs in the ninth as Jerry Morales doubled off reliever Dave Smith's first pitch following the two walks Richard allowed in the inning. Smith struck out the next two hitters.
For Richard, victory No. 100 may have been business as usual, but for Leonard home run No. 1 was a magic event.
"I feel," he said, "like I've already done more this year than last."
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