Hernandez RBIs Pace Met Wins

CHICAGO — Gary Carter hit a three-run homer Thursday to lead the New York Mets and Rick Aguilera to a 12-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Before the regularly scheduled game, Carter drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a run-scoring single to help the Mets defeat the Cubs, 7-6, in the conclusion of a suspended game from Wednesday.

In the regularly scheduled game, Keith Hernandez added his eighth game-winning, run-scoring single off loser Scott Sanderson, 5-9. Hernandez also collected three hits and the game-winning RBI in the suspended contest.

Aguilera, 6-3, gave up just seven hits in posting his sixth consecutive victory. In his last nine starts. Aguilera is 6-0 with three no-decisions.

Lenny Dkystra led off the Mets’ fourth with a bunt single and stopped at second on Wally Backman’s single to left. After Hernandez singled to left to score Dykstra, Carter unloaded his 19th homer into the left field bleachers for a 4-0 New York lead.

The Cubs broke the drought in their half of the fourth off Aguilera, with an unearned run. Bobby Dernier beat out a hit to third and when Mets’ third baseman Howard Johnson threw wildly to first, Dernier raced to second. Dernier took third on an infield out and scored on Gary Matthews’ sacrifice fly to center.

A triple into the right field corner by Leon Durham and Jody Davis’ infield out produced the second Cubs’ run in the fifth.

Sanderson, who lasted six innings, gave up his final run in the sixth when Danny Heep hit his fourth homer.

The Mets scored six runs in the eighth inning as Hernandez had a pair of singles and an RBI. Ray Knight also drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loades single and Backman had a sacrifice fly.

Aguilera singled home the Mets’ final run in the ninth.

In the conclusion of the suspended game, Rick Anderson won his first major league game. Darkness had forced the umpires to suspend Wednesday’s game after seven innings and Anderson, 1-0, who was recalled for a second time this season on June 17, got the victory by pitching the first five innings. He gave up three runs on five hits.

The Mets had jumped on Cub loser Steve Trout with a first inning run on a single by Mookie Wilson, a sacrifice and the first of Hernandez’s three singles.

A walk to Tim Teufel and singles by Hernandez and Carter produced the Mets’ second run in the third.

New York scored twice in the fourth after one out when Ed Hearn singled and took second while Trout walked Johnson. Anderson then forced Hearn at third on a ground ball to Ron Cey at third, who tossed to Shawon Dunston, covering the base. But, when Dunston tried to nail Anderson at first, he threw wildly, allowing Johnson to score and Anderson to reach second.

Wilson then tripled to center, sending Anderson home.

Anderson did not give up a hit until the bottom of the fourth when Terry Francona opened with a single to center and scored ahead of Jerry Mumphrey’s fourth homer.

Hernandez’s third straight single preceded Carter’s 18th homer to give the Mets a 6-2 advantage.