Padres’ Home Run Power Paves Way to Sweep of Cincinnati, 3 1/2-Game Lead

The first hints of pennant fever were in the air, along with the early-summer humidity, as the Padres arrived at Riverfront Stadium for a four-game series.

In a strange counterpoint, Marge Schott, the Reds’ owner, had announced some cost-cutting measures, including elimination of fireworks. Thanks to generosity by a food chain, the fireworks were to be restored after each Reds’ home run and victory.

The only fireworks in the first game of Friday’s twi-night doubleheader, however, were provided by the Padres.

A grand slam by Kurt Bevacqua, coupled with a three-run shot by Carmelo Martinez, put away the Reds, 9-3, before many of the eventual crowd of 37,753 had arrived.

Much later, Tony Gwynn’s solo home run off Ted Power provided the Padres a 3-2, 11-inning victory and a sweep of the doubleheader, increasing San Diego’s lead to 3 1/2 games over the Reds.

“It’s nice to start a long trip with a couple of wins, especially against the club that’s closest to us,” Manager Dick Williams said. “Now we know we will go out of here Sunday with a lead of 1 1/2 games and maybe a lot more.”

Williams had a lot to be pleased with, including 27 hits for the night. Just as important was the five-hit pitching of Eric Show, who worked 7 innings and earned his fifth win.

“He pitched about as well as you can pitch,” Williams said. “I think all five hits were off sliders, but that doesn’t make any difference.”

Center fielder Kevin McReynolds had seven hits in the two games, tying a club record set by Mike Ivie on May 30, 1977 at San Francisco.

“They weren’t pretty but they all counted,” McReynolds said.

“That’s the kind of game you look back on late in the year and say it was important.

“It’s good to come in against the team challenging us and get a lift after we were down.”

The Padres had allowed a 2-0 lead to slip away with two outs in the ninth inning of the nightcap. The Reds got two runs off Goose Gossage, who had replaced Show, on a single, an error by Garry Templeton and a double by Wayne Krenchicki.

Then, with one out in the 11th, Gwynn went to bat against Power, looking for a pitch he could hit, but not thinking home run.

On the bench, Bevacqua turned to hitting coach Deacon Jones and said, “Tony is going downtown.” Sort of like George Brett in the shaving commercial.

Making a prophet of the first-game hero, Gwynn got a high changeup and pulled it into the right-field seats.

He said it meant as much or more than the home run he hit off Fernando Valenzuela to beat the Dodger left-hander earlier this season.

“We were down after losing the lead,” Gwynn said. “We should have won in regulation. So it was a pretty satisfying hit.”

The first game was almost totally lacking in drama, thanks to Bevacqua and Martinez.

On his grand slam, Bevacqua did his best Reggie Jackson imitation, standing rapt in the batter’s box as the ball curved fair just inside the left-field foul pole.

“We’re here to prove we’re as good as everybody thinks,” Bevacqua said, “and the Reds are trying to show they’re better.”

Bevacqua’s grand slam off Tom Browning in the fifth inning supplemented homer No. 8 by Martinez as the Padres established an 8-0 lead.

It was the fourth grand slam of Bevacqua’s career--two in each league.

It also was his finest moment since the dramatic three-run homer that gave the Padres a 5-3 win in Game 2 of the 1984 World Series.

Friday night’s doubleheader was the start of a grueling 15-game trip for the Padres, who were to face four Western Division rivals in the space of 13 days.

It also was the start of the first big series at Riverfront Stadium since 1981.

The Reds had won four straight and had been averaging 9 runs and 13 hits since Manager Pete Rose elevated Gary Redus to the top of the batting order.

Although the Reds were hopeful of winning three of four from San Diego and taking over first place, the fans were forced by events to adopt a cautious attitude.

Rose said he thought Cincinnati fans were astute enough to realize the torch has passed from the Dodgers to the Padres.

The bats of Martinez and Bevacqua underscored that point in the first game.

Given a big lead, Mark Thurmond picked up his third win, with the aid of four superb innings of relief from Luis DeLeon, who allowed only one hit.

Thurmond, who has had trouble holding leads in recent games, was removed so that he would be fresh enough to start Tuesday in Houston. Manager Dick Williams had been deliberating about selecting a sixth starter, either from the bullpen or the farm system, before settling on Thurmond.

Padres Notes

The Padres signed three players from the recent draft, including James Tatum, an outfielder from Santana High School; Carl Ferraro, a pitcher from Florida Southern; and Maurice Morton, a first baseman from Elon College. All will report to the Padres’ Spokane farm team . . . The Padres rank first in National League road attendance with an average of 29,059. They rank third in home attendance behind the Dodgers and Angels.

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Game 1 Scorecard THIRD INNING Padres--With two out, Gwynn walked. Garvey singled to left, Gwynn taking second. McReynolds singled to right, Gwynn scoring and Garvey moving to third. Martinez homered to left, his 8th, with Garvey and McReynolds scoring. Bevacqua grounded to short. Four runs, three hits, none left.

FIFTH INNING Padres--With one out, Garvey walked. McReynolds doubled down the left-field line, Garvey taking third. Martinez was walked intentionally. Bevacqua homered to left, his first. Pastore replaced Browning. Bochy grounded to short. Templeton singled to left. Thurmond struck out. Four runs, three hits, one left.

Reds--Esasky singled to right. Oester tripled to left, Esasky scoring. Van Gorder sacrificed to right, Oester scoring. Milner, pinch-hitting for Pastore, grounded to third. Redus was hit by a pitch. Redus stole second. Concepcion singled to center, Redus scoring. Parker grounded to second. Three runs, three hits, one left.

SEVENTH INNING Padres--With Ron Robinson pitching, McReynolds singled to right. Martinez lined to third. Bevacqua reached base on a fielder’s choice, with McReynolds out at second. Bochy walked. Templeton singled to center, Bevacqua scoring and Bochy taking third. DeLeon struck out. One run, two hits, two left.

Game 2 Scorecard SEVENTH INNING Padres--With two out, Flannery doubled to right. Gwynn was walked intentionally. Garvey doubled to right, Flannery and Gwynn scoring. Kennedy popped to third. Two runs, two hits, one left.

NINTH INNING Reds--With two out, Concepcion singled. Oester was safe on an error by Templeton. Krenchicki doubled to right, Concepcion and Oester scoring. Walker, pinch-hitting for Franco, was walked intentionally. Redus struck out. Two runs, two hits, one error, two left.

ELEVENTH INNING Padres--With one out, Gwynn homered to right. Garvey struck out. Kennedy struck out. One run, one hit.