AL and NL Playoffs In Full Swing

HOUSTON--Mike Scott prevailed in the heralded Shootout at the K Corral with Dwight Gooden, equalling a playoff record with 14 strikeouts and throwing a five-hitter as the Houston Astros defeated the New York Mets, 1-0, last night in the first game of the 1986 National League playoffs.

Glenn Davis' home run leading off the second inning was all Scott, who led the major leagues in strikeouts with 306, needed.

Gooden, the major-league strikeout leader the past two seasons, gave up seven hits and struck out five in seven innings while working in and out of trouble as the Astros wasted numerous scoring chances.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series tonight will match Houston right-hander Nolan Ryan, 12-8, baseball's all-time strikeout leader, against left-hander Bob Ojeda, 18-5.

The shutout was the first in the NL playoffs since Rick Sutcliffe and Warren Brusstar of Chicago combined to beat San Diego 13-0 in Game 1 of the 1985 series. The last individual shutout by an NL pitcher was Bob Forsch for St. Louis, 7-0 in Game 1 of the 1982 playoffs against Atlanta.

Danny Jackson of Kansas City pitched a 2-0 shutout in Game 5 of last year's American League playoffs against Toronto.

Scott became only the third NL pitcher to strike out 10 or more in a playoff game, the most recent being John Candelaria, who also struck out 14 against Cincinnati on Oct. 7, 1975 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Detroit's Joe Coleman in 1972 and Baltimore's Mike Boddicker in 1983 also struck out 14.

Davis, who became only the second Astro to hit 30 or more homers in a season with 31 this year, hit a 1-0 pitch from Gooden to straightaway center field to lead off the second. Center fielder Lenny Dykstra was at the wall waiting, but there was no chance.

It was over the fence with plenty to spare, and the Astros had the first league championship playoff homer of their history.