The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 64

6 THE GAZETTE, MONTREAL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1930 wins 12th as red-hot Mets'DOund Astros EXPOS NOTEBOOK Jeff Blair Strawberry sends two downtown as Houston's road record slides to 1-15 1 4 1 w' scored. The Mariners scored twice in the fourth. Ken Griffey Jr. singled, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, and Jeffrey Leonard doubled him to third. Pete O'Brien and Edgar Martinez then hit sacrifice flies.

Griffey hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth and Dave Valle drove in a run with a groundout in the sixth. ARLINGTON, Tex. Bobby snapped a personal five-game losing streak RANGERS 7 against Balti- more with a six- 0RI0LES 2 hitter and Jack Daugherty went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles as the Texas Rangers beat the O's 7-2. Witt (5-8) was 0-2 with an 1 1.33 ERA in his first two outings this season against Baltimore. He struck out seven and walked four in his first complete game of the season.

Baltimore got a run in the first on Joe Orsulak's seventh homer but Texas came back with three in the bottom of the inning on Harold Baines's RBI single and Pete Inca-viglia's two-run double. The Rangers, who had five doubles in their first seven hits, scored three more times in the third for a 6-1 lead. Daugherty doubled for the second time in three innings and scored on Rafael Palmeiro's single. Ruben Sierra's RBI double chased John Mitchell (0-2), who gave up six runs and six hits in two-plus innings. Pinch-hitter Kevin Reimer greeted Brian Holton with a double for another run.

Right-hander Ben McDonald, the first pick in the 1989 amateur draft, made his first appearance of the season, entering the game in the sixth with the Orioles trailing 6-1. He pitched two hitless innings. Texas scored its final run off Kevin Hickey in the eighth on Mike Stanley's RBI triple. After Orsulak's homer, Witt blanked the Orioles until the ninth when Sam Horn hit a sacrifice fly. The run was unearned.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, CANADIAN PRESS Reliever Schmidt honored An element of doubt. That's what Dave Schmidt likes to keep in the minds of opposing teams and that's what the Expos had in their minds when they signed him to a free-agent contract on Dec. 13 for a mere 1 raise over the $650,000 he earned with the Baltimore Orioles in 1989. Those doubts aren't there any more. Yesterday, Schmidt was named the Expos' player of the month for June, when he went 2-0 (2.38) with nine saves after assuming the role of bullpen closer since May 30, when Tim Burke suffered a hairline fracture of his right fibula.

The 33-year-old right-hander received seven of 1 1 first-place votes on ballots collected by the Montreal chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Dave Martinez, the runner-up, had three votes while Bill Sampen had one first-place vote. "The Orioles said they didn't think I was worth what I earned in 1989. I said I felt I was," said Schmidt, the National League Ro-laids Relief Man of the Month. "That's what I told David Dom-browski (vice-president of player personnel) when he talked to me.

It was important to me that I not accept any less than 1 made in 1989." Schmidt's palmball is the pitch that leaves hitters muttering to themselves. In 1984-85, as a member of the Texas Rangers, he was often accused of loading up the ball and was searched by umpires on a regular basis. "I know I don't do it, and I think guys talk to each other enough that word about me having a pretty good palmball has gotten around, but," he said, shrugging "Look, I'm never going to firmly deny it. I'm not going to tell anybody there's no way that I would think about loading up the ball. You have to keeD some donht in people's minds.

Expos manager Buck Rodgers expects Tim Raines (sprained right ankle) to be ready to play in the team's four-game series against the Atlanta Braves after the all-star break. But does that necessarily mean he'll step right back into the No. 3 spot in the order. Entering last night's game, Larry Walker was 14-for-40 (.350) with eight runs, 10 runs batted in, four doubles, four home runs and a .750 slugging percentage in 10 starts in the three hole. "Where will Rock be in the order?" Rodgers asked coyly.

"I'll tell you in Atlanta." Expos publicist Rich Griffin was still getting his share of grief yesterday after yet another mechanical glitch scuttled plans to raise the Big O's roof on Monday. Pitcher Mark Gardner asked him what went wrong. Griffin sighed and repeated that a mechanical flaw prevented the second stage of the two-stage procedure from functioning properly. "There's two stages all right open and close and neither of them work," Gardner shot back. BASEBALL I RO NDU PHILADELPHIA Reliever Jeff Parrett pitched five innings in his first major- PHILUES 5 start and Dennis Cook BRAVES 1 got his first big- league save, leading the Phladelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 5-1.

Parrett, a former Expo, gave up one run on four hits, striking out five and walking three. He started in place of Ken Howell, who did not pitch because of pain in his right armpit. Parrett (3-6) earned his third victory of the season, all against Atlanta. He is 6-1 lifetime against the Braves. Parrett, who has been in the majors for four years, had not started since 1986 at the Expos' Triple A farm team in Indianapolis.

Cook allowed one hit in four innings. He lost his spot in the starting rotation earlier this season and was sent to the bullpen. Marty Clary (1-4) lost in his first start since May 24, a span of 10 relief appearances. He went 5'3 innings and gave up four runs on four hits. Lenny Dykstra led off the Philadelphia first with a single, advanced to third on a single by Tom Herr and scored on Charlie Hayes's sacrifice fly.

With two outs, Randy Ready singled home another run. MINNEAPOLIS Rookie pitcher Kevin Tapani scattered se- ven hits in 7li TWINS 7 innings while outdueling RED SOX 3 Roger Clemens and Gary Gaetti hit a two-run triple as the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 7-3 in AL action. Tapani (9-5) had a shutout until the eighth when the Red Sox scored on a one-out walk to Wade Boggs, Jody Reed's single and pinch-hitter IAN MACDOMALD EXPOS FARM REPORT making more difficult plays. It isn't as though I can't do the job. "I'm happy with the hitting though.

They say if you can hit and play some defence, then they'll find a place for you to play." Stairs was a standout shortstop as a teenager in Fredericton. Along with starring at high school, Stairs played as a 17-year-old in the New Brunswick Senior League. Over that period, the 5-foot-8, 185-pounder thought of a hockey career. "Why not?" said Stairs, who scored 48 goals in 22 games during his final season with the Frederic I Jeff Parrett Gets win in his first major league start second on Fred McGrifFs single and trotted in on John Olerud's ground-rule double. Frank Wills pitched three innings of three-hit relief for Toronto, then gave up Ray's fourth hit in the ninth and a Joyner double past an awkwardly sprawling Bell in left.

Tom Henke came in for his 14th save, enticing pop flies from Win-field and Max Venable and a grounder from Lance Parrish. CLEVELAND Ex-Expo Mitch Webster tripled home a run during a five-INDIANS 9 run first inning and added two MARINERS 4 RBI singles as the Indians ended the Seattle Mariners' five-game winning streak with a 9-4 victory. Cleveland starter Al Nipper got his second straight win with his newly-discovered knuckleball, giving up three runs and seven hits in five innings. Nipper is 2-1 in three starts since he was recalled from the Triple A Colorado Springs. Loser Matt Young (2-9) put himself in a deep hole in the first inning when Cleveland scored five runs on six hits and a walk.

Each of the Indians' first four batters got a hit and Matt Stairs needs work on defence pitchers and they have better stuff. The thing is, they're around the plate and you can meet the ball solidly." Even if Stairs struggles with the glove, his situation a Canadian in the Expos' system who can hit but lacks defensive finesse is not unique. Four years ago, a strapping young man from Maple Ridge, B.C., hit 1 i hopes hot bat gets him up Stairs' quickly Kevin Romine's sacrifice fly. Rick Aguilera retired Tom Brun-ansky on a fly ball and went on to earn his 19th save. He gave up two runs in the ninth on Carlos Quin-tana's RBI double and Boggs's RBI single.

Clemens (12-4) lost for the second time in his last three decisions despite giving up just one earned run. He yielded seven hits and four runs three unearned in seven innings. Despite the loss, the Red Sox maintained a 3'2-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. TORONTO After the California Angels failed repeatedly to hit in the clutch, the BLUE JAYS 5 Bme Javs roke a tie with three ANGELS 2 runs in the fifth inning on the way to a 5-2 win. Todd Stottlemyre (9-7) got his fifth win in his last six starts the hard way.

He gave up 10 hits in five innings, escaping jams partly by matching a career high with eight strikeouts. The Angels came into the game in an 0-for-14 slump with runners in scoring position and two out. The streak extended to 0-for-18 by the end of the fifth. They stranded 10 runners in the first five innings, but got on the board first on Wally Joyner's RBI single in the third. Junior Felix hit a two-run single off Bert Blyleven (7-5) in the bottom of the inning and the Angels tied it in the fourth on Luis Polon-ia's double.

With runners on second and third, Johnny Ray popped up. With the bases loaded following a walk, Dave Winfield struck out. In the decisive fifth, Felix and Tony Fernandez hit consecutive triples, Felix banging it off the wall and Fernandez drilling his into the right-field corner. On Kelly Gruber's tapper to first, Fernandez darted home daringly, scoring when Wally Joyner bounced the throw into the dirt. For the third run, George Bell drew a two-out walk, advanced to ton High School Black Kats.

"I'd been playing hockey since I was 3." Stairs also played soccer and rugby and volleyball. A knee injury, plus his size, convinced Stairs baseball was the way to go. His baseball background consisted of his natural athletic ability. It wasn't until he joined the Canadian Baseball Institute at Vancouver that Stairs was subjected to fundamental baseball training. He played shortstop and hit .360 with the national team.

He agreed to terms with Expos two years ago but insisted he get the chance to play for Canada in the Olympics. Stairs, a right-handed hitter, isn't surprised that he has been able to continue lining singles and doubles, often to the opposite field, at each step up the professional ladder. "They told me class A might be the hardest place to hit," Stairs said. "The guys (pitchers) down there throw hard but they aren't as accurate. It's difficult for the hitter to dig in.

"The pitchers are around the plate more in Double A. They say I'll find the same thing in Triple A and even more so when I make the 'show'. Of course, they're better "I still feel like I'm ready to explode. But tonight wasn't the night for anybody to come out of anything," said Galarraga, who is now hitting .255 against lefties after going .385 against them in 1989. "He (Browning) was tough.

The sinker he threw me for the double play was a great pitch. It's like I was looking high and he threw outside. I look outside, he threw high. Tough." Rodgers set a goal of six wins in this 10-game, pre-All-Star game ho-mestand. To do that, they'll have to win all five remaining games (one against the Reds, four against the Houston Astros.) "We can't just try and hang in there.

We have to challenge," he said. "We just can't sit around and say: Everything's going to be OK after the All-Star break, because it might not be. We had a damn good first half. "We can't throw it away in these last few days." NOTES: Good news on the injury front: second baseman Delino DeShields (fractured left index finger) will begin shadow swinging, possibly as early as tomorrow. He may be ready to take batting practice on Saturday or Sunday and could be activated for the Braves series.

Right now the team has no plans of sending him down to the minor leagues on an injury-rehabilitation option. "The biggest reason we wouldn't send him down is, unlike Marquis Grissom for example, he wasn't going poorly at the time of the injury," Rodgers said. GAZETTE NEWS SERVICES NEWrYORK Darryl Strawberry hit two of New York's four home runs, in-METS12 I eluding a tower- ing shot off the ASTF2S8 scoreboard, and y. Frank Viola be the National League's first 12-game winner as the Mets beat the Houston Astros 12-0 last night. Viola (12-3) pitched a five-hitter for his third shutout of the season.

The Mets have won 20 of their last 23 games. Houston has lost 1 5 of 1 6 on the road. In. the first inning, Strawberry delivered an RBI single and Kevin McReynolds hit a three-run homer off Mark Portugal (2-8). Portugal, 7-1 last season, allowed six runs and eight hits in four innings.

Strawberry made it 5-0 with his 1 8th homer in the third, but that was nothing compared to what he did in the fifth. Leading off against Xavier Strawberry hit one of the longest home runs in Shea Stadium history, a high, majestic drive that struck nearly 30 feet up on the scoreboard in right-centre field. The "distance was estimated at about 450 feet from home plate. One out later, Daryl Boston hit a home run off the base of the right-field section of the scoreboard to make it 8-0. The Mets have hit four home runs in a game three times this year, all against the Astros.

Viola beat Houston for the third time this season. He walked three and struck out five in his 14th career shutout. Strawberry has 1 5 home runs and 36 RBIs in his last 34 games. It was the second this season he has hit two homers in a game and the 22nd time, in his career. The Mets added four runs in the seventh off Jim Clancy to make it 1 2-0 on Viola's run-scoring grounder, Dave Magadan's RBI double and Gregg Jefferies's two-run single.

Howard Johnson, who had a 10-game hitting streak stopped, had an RBI grounder with the bases loaded in the fourth. Matt Stairs knows his ticket to "the show" is his ability to hit. BiiCthe 22-year-old product of Fredericton, N.B., athletic programs doesn't agree with the early suggestion that his defence (or lack of sarne) is a liability. out this year wanting to hit .300," said Stairs, in his second seasonlwith the Expos after two years on Canada's national baseball team where he played in the Olympics at Seoul. "My glove was good last year, but I didn't hit the way I can (.256 at Jamestown and .284 at Rockford).

I was never great defensively, but I think I can play. It's been a lack of concentration maybe because all I'm thinking about is hitting." Stairs started this season with West Palm Beach in the Class A Florida State League. After 55 games, he was hitting an excellent .337. But there were 16 errors. Promoted to Jacksonville of the Double A Southern Association, Stairs struggled at the plate.

But he started finding the range last week. As of-yesterday, Stairs was hitting .3067 Again, eight errors stand out. "It's been mostly the routine Stairs said. "That tells me it's just lack of concentration. I'm Team CONTINUED.FROM PAGE F5 up, then threw to first in time to get the Expos catcher.

"twanted to keep the game moving al a quick pace, pitch aggressively-and not let any big innings develop because of walks," said Browning, who struck out four and walked two and who had thrown just under 90 pitches going into the ninth'. "I might have rushed things too much after that first out in the Expos starter Zane Smith (4-6) showed no ill-effects from the line drivehe took on his right kneecap in the seventh inning of last Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs, goingnine innings for the first time this year and giving up nine hits while" striking out four and walking He; struggled through the first three giving up four of his hits while fighting a losing battle with his breaking pitch. But he settled dowji after the fourth. Unfortunately for Smith, the Reds had scored both of their runs by then. Barry Larkin opened the scoring in the first when he lashed a doubledown the third-base line and into.

the left-field corner. Marquis Grissom misplayed the carom, and by the time the relay throw had come in to Fitzgerald Larkin was already sliding across the plate. The Reds' second run was scored in a more conventional manner a line-drive solo home run by Glenn Braggs (his fourth) with one out in the fourth. Braggs went 3-4 last night. Canadian .289 with 29 home runs and 74 runs batted in for Class A Burlington.

The near-unanimous word on Larry Walker at the time was, "we have to find a position he can play." Walker had played third base in Canada. He has become an outstanding outfielder. And the hitting potential is untapped. So, Stairs concentrates on hitting. He gets his uniform dirty every game with his diving, hustling style.

NOTES Richie Lewis, the highly touted right-hander who led the country with 196 strikeouts at Florida State University in 1987, has had his second elbow surgery in less than a year and is through for the season. Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham removed a bone spur last week. After surgery by Dr. Frank Jobe in Los Angeles late last season, Lewis had been converted from starter to reliever The Expos' first and second picks from last month's draft Shane Andrews and Rondell White have started out well in rookie league action in Bradentown.

Third-baseman Andrews hit .318 through six games while outfielder White hit .4 1 7 with three home runs and nine RBIs in nine games. sets sights on winning next five Smith has been hurt by the long ball in recent starts, giving up six homers in his last five outings. Rodgers didn't want to use injuries to Delino DeShields and Tim Raines as an excuse for the team's recent offensive woes but it was something that was duly noted by just about everyone else. "We simply have to get everybody back healthy. I really think it's that simple," said Wallach, who cut down another potential Reds run in the third when, with one out and runners on second and third, he fielded Chris Sabo's grounder and threw to Fitzgerald to get Billy Hatcher at the plate.

"It's really not that we're playing that badly, and I think Buck just wanted to make us aware of that." Andres Galarraga was back at first base after a night off against Atlanta Braves righthander John Smoltz on Monday. He fared worse than most of his teammates on a night of limited returns, striking out twice and hitting into a double play in the eighth after Fitzgerald had led off with a single. Galarraga struggled through the month of June, picking up just 10 RBIs while hitting .250. When he sat him out Monday, Rodgers did so noting that "hopefully, the class-work is over and we'll see something that looks like the Gala we're used to seeing." Hitting instructor HaI'McRae has been trying to refine the little hitch in the start of his swing rather than eliminate it. Results of that extra work are still pending.

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