Kennedy Gains Revenge Again : His Hitless Streak Against Davis Ends With 2-Run Double Off Left-hander

Like a child who overcomes his fears one by one, Padre catcher Terry Kennedy is getting revenge against some of the left-handed pitchers who have tormented him.

Kennedy broke a 1-for-16 streak against Pirate starter Larry McWilliams with a bases-loaded double to break open a close game and lead the Padres to a 12-2 win May 8.

Thursday afternoon, in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Kennedy added San Francisco left-handed reliever Mark Davis to his list. Kennedy’s one-out, two-run double off Davis in the eighth inning led the Padres to a come-from-behind, 6-5 win over the Giants.

With Jerry Royster on third and Tony Gwynn on first and the Padres trailing, 5-4, Kennedy hit an 0-1 curveball into right-center field for his first hit in 16 career at-bats against Davis. In 10 of those 16 at-bats, Kennedy had struck out.

“Some pitchers have a voodoo on a hitter,” Kennedy said. “I was happy I could get something I could reach and get my bat on.”

Kennedy missed Davis’ first pitch and didn’t look particularly good doing it. But he smashed the second pitch into the gap in right-center field. Right fielder Chili Davis made a desperate, backhanded stab at the line drive, but it whizzed past him and bounced toward the wall.

“I wanted to get something to hit to the outfield,” Kennedy said. “I was concerned with driving in the tying run.”

There were several less-than-optimistic thoughts going through Kennedy’s mind when he came to the plate.

The last time Kennedy faced Davis, he grounded into a rally-killing double play with the bases loaded in the 10th inning of last Friday night’s game in San Francisco. The Giants won, 5-4, on David Green’s 11th-inning home run.

And, Kennedy entered the game hitting .285 against right-handers but only .238 against left-handers.

Add that to the fact that Davis is no ordinary left-hander. The cocky Giants’ relief ace, who took a 1.66 earned-run average into Thursday’s game, throws nasty curveballs that break at the last moment.

“I am confident when anyone is up there,” Davis said. “I feel I can get people out, and it’s up to them to show me I can’t.”

Going into the eighth inning, Kennedy hadn’t shown Davis anything.

Did Padre Manager Dick Williams think of pinch-hitting for Kennedy?

“I’m not going to pinch-hit for Kennedy,” Williams said. “He’s our leading RBI man.”

Kennedy leads the team with 43 RBIs. Two of those came on a towering two-run homer to right off right-hander Mike Krukow in the fourth inning.

“If I take Kennedy, (Steve) Garvey or Gwynn out for a pinch-hitter, you should have me psycho-analyzed,” Williams said.

Even Williams smiled after saying that.

“Really, Kennedy was magnificent,” Williams said.

Wonder what Williams, or anyone for that matter, would have said about Kennedy’s hitting as of last Sunday afternoon.

Sluggish after battling the flu and playing 11 road games in 10 days in 3 cities, Kennedy was 1 for 21 when he pinch-hit in the ninth inning of the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Giants with the Padres trailing, 3-1. Kennedy doubled and scored the tying run in a game the Padres eventually lost, 5-4, in 13 innings.

“That hit did help,” Kennedy said. “I don’t like pinch-hitting, but that made me feel better.”

Buoyed by that hit, Kennedy went 3 for 12 with two RBIs in the three-game series against the Dodgers.

Then came Thursday.

“I swung better today than in at least 10 days,” Kennedy said. “I keep hacking, and am not pressing like I did last year.”

Obviously, Kennedy has learned to put past experiences, and his troubles with left-handers, behind him.

Which left-hander is left for Kennedy to get revenge against?

“John Candelaria,” he said.