It’s Thumbs Out as the Cubs Slow Met Express, 4-2

Chicago Cubs Manager Gene Michael took his cap off to the umpire during an argument over a close play at first base, and he expected the ump to do the same for him so he wouldn’t get hit with the beak.

“I turned his cap around because he was beaking me with the cap,” said Michael, who was ejected by umpire Dave Pallone in the sixth inning of the Cubs’ 4-2 victory Monday over the New York Mets at Chicago. The argument started when Len Dykstra was called safe on an error at first. Pallone said Leon Durham had pulled his foot off the bag.

Chicago right-fielder Keith Moreland also was thrown out of the game for bumping plate umpire Scott Grinder in the fourth and the game was delayed 15 minutes while the ground crew clean up debris fans in the bleachers showered onto the outfield to protest the ejection. Moreland was called out trying to score.

Ron Cey went 3-for-3, including a homer, while Dennis Eckersley and Lee Smith combined on a five-hitter for Chicago.

Eckersley (6-6) has won four of his last five decisions and is 3-0 lifetime against the Mets. In seven innings, he struck out six and walked only one, and it was intentional.

“As a team the last three weeks, we haven’t swung the bats like we’re capable of. It’ll pick up. It’s one of those things,” said Met Manager Davey Johnson.

Smith pitched two scoreless innings to get his 20th save and tie Bruce Sutter for the Cub career record for saves--133.

“The guys told me about the record a couple of weeks ago,” said Smith. “But as they say, ‘Better lucky than good.’ ”

Ron Darling (11-4) was tagged with the loss.

“Today wasn’t a good day for him, but he still didn’t give up much,” said Johnson.

The outcome snapped a three-game New York winning streak and ended a three-game skid for the Cubs.

The Mets went on top, 1-0, in the second when Kevin Mitchell doubled and scored on Rafael Santana’s single.

The Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Durham singled, went to second on a walk to Jody Davis and came home on a single by Cey.

Chicago went ahead, 3-1, in the fifth. Eckersley walked, moved to third on Ryne Sandberg’s double and scored on an infield out. Terry Francona doubled Sandberg home.

Cey’s ninth home run over the left-field stands in the sixth inning made it 4-1.

New York narrowed the lead to 4-2 when Howard Johnson and pinch-hitter Mookie Wilson hit consecutive doubles in the seventh inning.

Cincinnati 2, San Francisco 1--After losing six games in a row, the last thing the Cincinnati Reds needed was a no-hitter thrown at them by a rookie looking for his first victory.

That’s just what the Reds were facing until Tony Perez came through with a double to center field in the seventh inning, to break the spell cast by Giant rookie Terry Mulholland at San Francisco.

“Tony’s always come through when we need him the most,” said Buddy Bell, whose double in the eighth keyed a two-run rally. “The way things have been going lately, we find ourselves in the seventh inning with a no-hitter and it doesn’t look good.”

Perez said his hit, even though it didn’t lead to a run, took the pressure off his teammates, who had managed only five hits in the previous 24 innings.

“The other guys over the next two innings don’t have to worry about breaking up the no-hitter,” he said. “ We don’t need a no-hitter right now. We need to win. If we lose seven in a row with a no-hitter, that could be something really bad.”

Mulholland took the loss calmly.

“Nobody ever said if you no-hit guys for six innings you’re going to win,” he said.

Mulholland, a 23-year-old making his sixth major league start, had the no-hitter until Perez doubled with two out in the seventh. Mulholland (0-5) then gave up his fifth walk before notching his fourth strikeout to end the inning.

Trailing 1-0, Cincinnati got to Mulholland at the start of the eighth when pinch-hitter Kal Daniels batted for winning pitcher John Denny and drove a ground rule double that bounced into the left field stands.

Daniels took third on Kurt Stillwell’s infield single and Mulholland was replaced by reliever Scott Garrelts. Bell’s double to left center on Garrelts’ second pitch scored Daniels to tie the game. Garrelts then walked Dave Parker intentionally to load the bases and Bo Diaz’s sacrifice fly scored Stillwell with the winning run.

Baltimore 12, Toronto 2--Mike Boddicker, who seems to bring out the best in the Orioles’ hitters, pitched a five-hitter over eight innings at Toronto and was supported by five home runs as the Orioles took three of four from the defending AL East champions.

“I haven’t pitched better than all of our other pitchers, in fact I haven’t even pitched as well as some,” said Boddicker, who raised his record to 14-7 and trails only Roger Clemens (17-3) in American League wins.

“For some reason they always score a tremendous number of runs for me. I wish we could spread some of them among Flanny (Mike Flanagan) and (Storm) Davis. Then we’d all have 14 wins.”

Jim Dwyer belted a three-run homer, Larry Sheets and Jim Traber clubbed two-run homers and John Shelby and Fred Lynn had solo shots as the Orioles banged out 16 hits and tied the 1986 high for most homers in one game by an American League team.

“Since Eddie Murray’s been out (with a hamstring injury) we’ve all said let’s each take a little of the weight and carry it on our own shoulders,” said Sheets, who blasted a 425-foot shot to stake Baltimore to a 2-0 lead. “I guess we did that pretty good today.”

Boddicker struck out two and walked one en route to his fourth victory in his last five decisions. Nate Snell pitched the ninth for Baltimore.

Baltimore opened a 2-0 lead in the second. Dwyer led off by ripping a double to right, and with Sheets batting, advanced to third when Joe Johnson (1-1) uncorked a wild pitch on a 2-2 count. Sheets rocketed the next delivery high and far over the right-field fence for his 11th homer.

The Orioles stretched their lead to 5-0 on Dwyer’s homer in the third. Singles by Lee Lacy and Cal Ripken put runners at first and second with two out, and Dwyer lofted the ball over the center field fence for his seventh homer.

Baltimore made it 6-0 in the fourth on Shelby’s solo homer, a shot off Stan Clarke.

The loss was the third in the last four games and seventh in the last 11 for the Blue Jays, who are showing few signs of threatening to repeat as champions in the AL East.

“We’d probably have to win 35-40 games in order to have a chance,” Rance Mulliniks said. “And that wouldn’t guarantee anything, it would just give us a chance.”

Toronto Manager Jimy Williams said: “Baltimore’s sure swinging a hot bat right now. And their pitching is very good, very consistent.

“All we can do is hope someone else can shut them down. We couldn’t do it.”