Wednesday, October 15,1986/The Battalion/Page Sports Mets down Astros to take 3-2 lead Carter breaks slump with winning RBI NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Carter broke out of a l-for-21 slump with a run-scoring single in the 12th inning that gave the New York Mets a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday and moved them within a game of their third National League pennant. The game-winning hit gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in games in the best of-seven playoff against Houston and sent the series back to the Astro dome for Games 6 and 7. Carter, confused and distressed by his lack of production after a 105 RBI season, had only a double in Game 2 and had gone hitless in his first four at-bats this time, before singling home the winning run off Houston reliever Charlie Kerfeld. Jesse Orosco pitched two hitless innings for his second victory in re lief in this series. Orosco now has worked five scoreless innings in the playoffs. This game, however, belonged to Carter, who stayed on the field well after the game, waving to fans and raising his hands in victory. Nolan Ryan of Houston and Dwight Gooden of the Mets dueled into extra innings, Ryan giving up only two hits as the Astros outhit the Mets 9-4 for the game. When Wally Backman singled off the glove of third baseman Denny Walling with one out in the 12th, it was only the third hit of the game for New York. Kerfeld tried to pick Backman off j first, but his throw was wild for an | error and Backman w ent to second. I The Astros then walked Keith Her nandez intentionally, bringing up | Carter. The count went to 2-and-0 on [Carter, before Astros pitching coach Les Moss came out to talk wdth Ker- | feld. Kerfeld got back to 3-and-2, and [Carter fouled off two pitches, before driving a clean single up the middle | that scored Backman easily. As Carter, rounded first base, he [raised both hands, the futility over, and his teammates ran and em braced him. Bob Ojeda, 18-5, the Mets’ Game 2 winner, will face the Game 3 loser for Houston, Bob Knepper, 17-12, in Game 6. Houston could have won the game in regulation had it not been for a hotly clisputed double play call that cost them a second-inning run. The Mets turned one other dou ble play, started by left fielder Moo- kie Wilson, that also saved a poten tial Houston run. The Astros scored their only run off Gooden in the fifth inning on a ground ball by Bill Doran that well could have been a double play. Darryl Strawberry tied the score for the Mets with a fifth-inning homer, his second of the series. Ryan was gone after nine innings, and Gooden departed after 10, his longest stint in the major leagues. Besides the home run to Straw berry, the only hit off Ryan was Keith Hernandez’ seventh-inning single. Ryan, the loser in Game 2, struck out 12 and walked one, while Gooden, the 1-0 loser in Game 1, scattered nine hits, walked two and struck out four. Ryan’s strikeouts helped the As tros break the major league playoff record. Through five games, Hous ton pitchers struck out 46 Mets’ bat ters. The previous record was 41, by the 1973 Mets’staff. Ryan started Game 5 as a replace ment for rookie Jim Deshaies, who was dropped from the rotation when the game was postponed on Monday by rain. This time, Game 5 was delayed by rain for 22 minutes at the start. Denied a run in the second by a questionable double play call, the As tros broke through against Gooden in the fifth inning on a double play the Mets couldn’t make. Alan Ashby led off with a double down the right-field line and went to third w'hen Craig Reynolds singled into shallow left field. No. 8 UT will test A&M defense By Charean Williams Sports Writer The best offense is a good de fense, or at least that’s what most coaches will tell you. No one knows that better than Texas A&M Volleyball Coach A1 Givens. “You have to play defense, no ifs, ands, or buts,” Givens said. “There are times when the of fense just isn’t clicking. That’s when the defense has to come through.” And defense will be the key if the No. 20 Aggies are to beat No. 8 Texas tonight at 7:30 p.m. in G. Rollie White Coliseum. “If we can continue to play the hard-nosed defense that we’ve been playing, then we’ll be in good shape,” Givens said. For the past three years, no one has played defense any better than A&M’s “Secretary of De fense,” Laura Hoppe. “Playing defense, you’ve got to love the floor,” Givens said. “Lau ra’s attitude is such that she’ll sac rifice her body to keep the ball from hitting the floor.” Hoppe, who walked on three years ago but was put on full scholarship before this season be gan, says nothing is more satisfy^ ing than making a great defensive p |a y- “There’s nothing like reading a hitter, being there and making the dig,” the Aggies’ spark plug said. “It gives you a rush. Defense can bring just as many rewards as offense if you put everything you’ve got into it.” A&M put everything it had into Monday night’s triumph over Baylor. It got defense from the likes of Hoppe and middle blocker Mar garet Spence and offense from outside hitters Cheri Steensma and Stacey Gildner. But it will take even more for the Aggies (16-4 overall, 3-0 in the Southwest Conference) to beat the Longhorns (12-4, 1-0), something they haven’t accom plished since 1982. The Aggies will have to cut down on their service errors and have an effective night blocking ; - -I . f ~ A&M’s Chris Zogata (left) and Margaret Spence leap high to block the ball. Defense is expected to Photo by Anthony S. Casper be a key in tonight’s 7:30 p.m. contest between A&M and Texas in G. Rollie White Coliseum. UT’s powerful hitters, namely Karen Kramer and Diane Wat son. “Texas has a good team and they do a lot of things well,” Givens said. “For us to be success ful, we have to block well and pass and serve aggressively.” Working in the Aggies’ favor are the recent injuries to several Longhorns. “We have a bunch, of nickel and dime injuries to Our ankles and fingers,” UT Coach Mick Ha ley said. “So it’s just a day-to-day proposition. We haven’t had the same lineup the last two weeks. “Now we’re under the gun, es pecially if you can’t play your top six players.” A&M also has the hefty advan tage of playing at home. Last sea son against UT, 3,500 filled G. Rollie to set an SWC-yolleyball at tendance record. “It’s always exciting to play at A&M," Haley said. “It’ll be a wild and woolly match. “What are ya’ll out there, about 7,000 or 8,000 fans and 100 dogs? I was watching some films the other day and there were about 3,000 people in the stands, but above all that noise I heard that dog barking.”? . . £»>_,. - 0rri\GQKi ' . . .' MEAT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE LEAN GROUND BEEF (2 lb/pkg) BRISKETS (trimmed, boneless) ROUND STEAKS T-BONE STEAKS (2 steaks/pkg) BEEF SIRLOIN STEAKS (boneless) VARIETY PAK (24—26 lbs) PORK CHOPS BEEF RIB STEAKS BEEF ROUND STEAKS LEAN GROUND BEEF PORK SAUSAGE BEEF CLOD ROASTS 8 CHOPS 4 STEAKS 3 STEAKS 8 POUNDS 2 POUNDS 1-2 ROASTS PRICE PER POUND REG. 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