Cub-Padre Rivalry Is Apparently Back After Chicago Win

Through six innings, this game was tame.

But now, the rivalry apparently is back. It’s a shame.

So here we go again. Cub-busters II begins tonight.

The Chicago Cubs, who defeated the Padres 6-2 Friday night in their first San Diego visit since last year’s playoffs, are convinced Padre reliever Greg Booker, the general manager’s son-in-law of all people, tried to hit Bob Dernier in the ninth inning.

Why would he hit Dernier? The Cubs say it’s because Richie Hebner, the previous batter, had just hit a three-run homer to right, securing a one-run lead.

“I think after a three-run homer, when the next guy is almost hit in the head, everyone in the ballpark says it’s intentional,” Dernier said. “It’s as simple as this--if you want to play baseball, play it. If you’re going to go hitting people in the head, let’s just square off and go at it.”

So can’t you wait for tonight’s game? How’s this for hype? Cub Manager Jim Frey, who was thrown out of this game in the ninth for something other than this potential beanball (he actually questioned Terry Tata’s ball-strike calls), said of this Padre-Cub rivalry: “The fact that the guy tried hitting Bob Dernier will intensify things. I thought it was a cheap shot. I think it was a gutless thing to do. I’m sure it’ll have an effect on our ballclub.”

“He showed the heart of a . . . mouse. No wonder the kid doesn’t get to pitch that often. He’s 6-foot-4 and he lets a man hit a ball 420 feet off of him and throws at the next hitter. He’s gutless.”

Greg Booker, age 24, was upset for other reasons. He had come into this game in the eighth, after Craig Lefferts had given up a double in relief of starter LaMarr Hoyt. He got out of the eighth, but gave up a single to Keith Moreland, a walk to Chris Speier and the home run to Hebner, who hadn’t hit a homer since May 8, 1984.

The next batter, Dernier, was hit in the back of the head. Frei and the other players stood up, some players actually running a few feet onto the field. They stopped short, however.

“I didn’t (throw at Dernier),” Booker said, when told of Frey’s comments. “I didn’t mean to. Just look back at the last nine guys I’ve faced, and I haven’t thrown well. If he (Frey) thinks that, tough. I haven’t thrown well in weeks.”

Regardless, the fuss is back. If the Cubs are serious, it could get serious in games Saturday or Sunday. What a shame for games played in May.

Cub reliever Lee Smith, who asks Wrigley Field personnel to play disco music when he enters games just to get the crowd rockin’ and rollin’, arrived to some old-fashioned tune (“For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”) here on Friday night, but shrugged it off and still earned the save.

Strangely, there was little crowd reaction to the Cubs return to San Diego, although Chicago players were booed when they were introduced. And this is the difference between the two teams. In San Diego, there are bleachers, and in Chicago, there are bleacher bums.

For instance, some of the bums made it out for the weekend series here, screaming “Jo-Dee . . . Jo-Dee” when Jody Davis approached the plate to bat.

Still, people like Steve Garvey were glad to be home, away from the Chicago madness. Last weekend in Chicago, Garvey had been booed relentlessly, the fans screaming obscenities at him. On this night, though, they had screamed: “Garvey . . . Garvey,” and he responded with three more hits.

And Garvey has now hit safely in 10 consecutive games, games in which he’s gone 19 for 42. He smiles when people ask him why, never answering completely why. He says he made a minor adjustment when he’d had a slow start last spring, and since then he says he’s been fine.

Manager Dick Williams, however, is more specific, saying Garvey perhaps was still bothered by a thumb injury, and, thus, was a little tentative.

This is not a tentative man, now. In the third inning, he broke up a double play, sliding hard into Larry Bowa, and this led to a Padre run. Graig Nettles’ two-out single scored Tony Gwynn, and the Padres led, 1-0.

This might have been enough to win, too. The Cubs hadn’t scored in two previous games, and still hadn’t scored through six innings Friday night. Hoyt was the reason for that, his sinker and changeups doing a decent job of keeping Cubs batters guessing.

For instance, Hoyt never threw more than 10 pitches in an inning. In one hour, it was the sixth inning.

But Hoyt threw an awful first pitch to Ryne Sandberg, the first batter in the seventh inning. Sandberg hit it over the left-center field fence, the ball ricocheting off of the Dodger insignia out there. It was Chicago’s first run in 26 innings, and the first home run against a Padre pitcher in 42 innings.

Hoyt obviously was distressed. He had pitched against his buddy Steve Trout last Sunday in Chicago, and felt very fine that day, except that it kept raining on him. After over two hours of rain delays, he left after five innings, saying it was a shame because he felt so good.

And again, he left. After Sandberg’s home run, he got two quick outs but walked Keith Moreland on five pitches. Ron Cey then singled to center, Moreland running all the way to third. Jody Davis then hit a ball just inside the third-base line, just inside a diving Nettles.

The ball rolled to the Padre bullpen, Moreland scored to make it 2-1. Cey, though, was out at the plate, Nettles’ relay coming home way before him. Still, the Cubs had scored and taken the lead.

So Craig Lefferts entered in the eighth and immediately walked Chris Speier, who had pinch-hit for Larry Bowa. Trout bunted, getting Speier to second, and Bob Dernier doubled to left center, Speier scoring.

It was 3-1.

Booker entered.

Sanity left.

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard THIRD INNING Padres--Royster walked. Gwynn forced Royster. Garvey grounded to the pitcher, but Bowa dropped the force play at second. McReynolds forced Garvey, Gwynn taking third. Nettles singled to center, Gwynn scoring with McReynolds taking third. Martinez popped to second. One run (unearned), one hit, two left.

SEVENTH INNING Cubs--Sandberg homered to left-center, his fifth. Matthews struck out. Durham flew to left. Moreland walked. Cey singled to center, Moreland taking third. Davis doubled past third, Moreland scoring, Cey thrown out at the plate. Two runs, three hits, one left.

EIGHTH INNING Cubs--With Lefferts pitching, Speier, batting for Bowa, walked. Trout sacrificed. Dernier doubled to left-center, Speier scoring. Booker replaced Lefferts. Sandberg flew to right. Woods walked. Durham forced Woods. One run, one hit, two left.

Padres--Garvey singled to center. McReynolds doubled to left, Garvey scoring. Nettles flew to center. Smith replaced Trout. Martinez bounced to the pitcher, McReynolds taking third. Kennedy flew to right. One run, two hits, one left.

NINTH INNING Cubs--Moreland singled to left. Cey flew to right. Davis sacrificed. Speier walked. Hebner homered to right, his first. Dernier was hit by a pitch. Stoddard replaced Booker. Dernier stole second. Sandberg popped to center. Three runs, two hits, one left.