Padres Full of October Hugs After Comeback Win Over Mets in May

These were not October hugs. But they were hugs just the same, and baseball players usually don’t celebrate like this in May.

So that made it special. Goose Gossage, whose slider might be better than his fastball now, got the final out, getting the Mets’ Danny Heep to fly out to center in the 10th inning. And then Terry Kennedy, the game’s hero (four RBIs) who must get up at dawn today, fly to Chicago to talk about a possible baseball strike, leaped out of the batter’s box and into Goose’s arms. The final score was 5-4, Padres.

If it all sounded familiar, it was. If it sounded like October, it was like October. A poor start. A Padre comeback. Goose pitching. An extra-inning victory.

Hugs.

“This was a big game,” said Kennedy, who had a three-run homer and then the game-winning RBI. “To come back on the road is tough. And against the Mets staff is 10 times tougher.”

It began so badly. Eric Show, who had jammed with the hotel band Tuesday night, got into a jam early, giving up a homer to George Foster in the second inning, and a two-run triple to Mookie Wilson in the third. The Met fans then screamed “Mooooo,” in honor of Wilson, not in honor of the good beef coming from the concession stands.

Then Gary Carter had an RBI single, scoring Wilson. It was 4-0.

And at that point, Met starter Ron Darling was pitching a pretty game. He struck out Tony Gwynn twice in a row, a remarkable achievement. As the Padres entered the top of the sixth, though, Darling mysteriously lost it.

Gwynn reached on an infield hit, and Graig Nettles singled to left. Kevin McReynolds then singled to center, scoring Gwynn and increasing his consecutive game hitting streak to 15.

“The first five innings he (Darling) had the ball down,” McReynolds said. “And then he didn’t.”

So, with two runners on and two outs, Kennedy stepped up. He said he was thinking about one thing: to hit the ball hard to the right side. Darling threw his first pitch, and the ball ended up over the right field fence. This game was tied.

“The last thing on my mind was home run,” he said.

Ditto for Met fans, who became restless then. A fight broke out after Kennedy’s homer, and it lasted nearly five minutes until 10 policeman were able to break it up. Kennedy is such a trouble-maker.

Meanwhile, Greg Booker, Craig Lefferts and Luis DeLeon were relieving Show, combining to throw four innings of two-hit baseball. In the eighth, Steve Garvey made the defensive play of the night, after Heep had led off the inning with a single. Howard Johnson, attempting a sacrifice bunt, popped the ball in the air, right into Garvey’s glove. Heep was in a heap of trouble because he was off the bag.

Garvey, who had been an option quarterback at Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Fla., pitched it as he used to pitch to halfbacks, and Tim Flannery made the catch. Heep was doubled up.

“Those old football days help,” Garvey said, who will visit the White House today, an off day.

Mark Thurmond pitched the ninth inning for San Diego, available because the game he was supposed to start, Tuesday, had been rained out. He retired the Mets in order.

Then, in the top of the 10th, with Met ace Jesse Orosco pitching, Gwynn bunted his way on. With Garvey up, the Padres were hitting and running. He chopped one to the shortstop, but Gwynn already was standing on second by the time Rafael Santana fielded it. Garvey was out at first, but Gwynn was in scoring postion. Nettles than moved Gwynn to third on a ground out to first.

The Mets then walked Kevin McReynolds intentionally, for they’d rather have the left-handed pitching Orosco face the left-handed hitting Kennedy.

Kennedy said he knew it would happen, knew the pressure would be on him. He said he thought back to a conversation he’d had with Ernie Banks during last year’s playoffs. He’d asked Banks what Banks thought about before pressure at-bats, and Banks said: “Lola Folana on the beach.”

In other words, he tried to relax. Kennedy did relax. He hit a breaking ball to right for a single, just by second baseman Calvin Chapman. Gwynn scored the winning run.

“I don’t think I’ve had a better day,” Kennedy said. “I had a day with the Cardinals with two three-run homers, but not in pressure situations. . . . There’ve been so many times when I’ve screwed up royally with runners on, so I’m glad to come through.”

Even Met fans screamed “Goooooose” as the bottom of the 10th began. Gossage threw 13 pitches; 11 for strikes. He struck out two, and gave up a single. He’d done it in New York, New York, where he used to play.

“Was my Adrenalin up? On that base hit (by Kennedy), I jumped up and down,” Gossage said. “That’s what this game’s about. If you don’t feel that way, you should get out of the game.”

Later, Kennedy packed his tape player. He was the last player to leave the clubhouse.

“My best moment? Close, real close,” he said. “Nah, my best moment was last fall when I was hugging Goose on our field.”

But this hug definitely was No. 2.

Padre Notes

It was the consensus that Gossage had his best stuff of the season, and he said: “I don’t think I ever have (had a better first six weeks). In the strike year of 1981, I got off to a good start.” On his velocity: “That’s for you guys. I’m getting them out. That’s all that matters. I’m throwing as hard as I can.”

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard SECOND INNING Mets--Foster homered to right. Heep walked. Johnson struck out. Santana grounded into a double play. One run, one hit, one left.

THIRD INNING

Mets--Darling singled to left. Backman reached and took second on Nettles’ error on bunt, Darling taking third. Wilson tripled to left, Darling and Backman scoring. Hernandez struck out. Carter singled to center, Wilson scoring. Foster bounced to the pitcher, Carter taking second. Heep walked. Johnson popped to third. Three runs (one unearned), three hits, two left.

SIXTH INNING

Padres--With one out, Gwynn reached on an infield single. Garvey flew to right. Nettles singled to left, Gwynn stopping at second. McReynolds singled to center, Gwynn scoring with Nettles stopping at second. Kennedy homered to right, his sixth. Martinez reached on an infield single. Templeton flew to right. Four runs, five hits, one left.

TENTH INNING

Padres--Gwynn bunted for a single. Garvey grounded to short, Gwynn taking second. Nettles grounded to first, Gwynn taking third. McReynolds was walked intentionally. Kennedy singled to right, Gwynn scoring, McReynolds taking third. Martinez flew to left. One run, two hits, two left.