August 23, 1987

LEAD: Mayor Koch and John Cardinal O'Connor, who were recently described by a mutual friend as ''the temporal and ecclesiastical Odd Couple,'' are collaborating on a book to be entitled ''His Eminence and Hizzoner.'' Each will argue his position on abortion, child care, homosexual rights and other issues on which church and state meet - sometimes head on.

LEAD: Responding to concern over a sharp increase in near-collisions in midair, the Department of Transportation today named nine more airports, including some of the fastest growing in the country, where it plans to extend tight restrictions on air traffic.

LEAD: In the controversy and confusion surrounding a bizarre eighth-inning play, the Mets could have overlooked their poor performance against the San Diego Padres last night that resulted in an 8-3 loss. But Dave Johnson, who protested the game with the umpires because of their ruling on the play, said, ''Be that as it may, we were outhit, outpitched and outfielded.

LEAD: A hefty new office development in Fairfield, N.J., with 142,000 square feet of condominium space on seven acres, is otherwise surprisingly small - in concept, design and function. Developed by Rushton Industries of West Paterson, N.J., the eight two-story buildings, in varying configurations, will have 170 office units, ranging from 700 to 1,300 square feet and costing from $100,000 to $200,000.

LEAD: Marlon Starling did not have to see the scorecards to know where he stood. Mark Breland was the unbeaten welterweight champion, a movie star and an Olympic hero with a medal and a future made of gold. Starling wasn't going to win this fight on points. But he also knew that five rounds remained, five more than Breland had ever fought before, and when he came out of his corner for the first of those rounds, Starling noticed once more the weary expression on Breland's face.