Stoddard Saves a Split for the Padres

By the time Tim Stoddard had dried off, combed his hair and made it back to his locker, Luis DeLeon was gone, already sitting alone on the team bus.

And the sad thing for DeLeon is that he may not return to the Padre staff, for he has become a relief pitcher who provides no relief. Monday, as the Padres and Cubs completed their suspended game of May 5, DeLeon gave up another home run, a two-run hit by Leon Durham, which helped the Cubs secure a 6-3 victory. The game began in the seventh inning with the Cubs leading, 4-2.

Afterward, Padre Manager Dick Williams hinted that DeLeon could soon be released, saying: “Something will be done shortly with the bullpen.”

DeLeon, who doesn’t speak much English but can read the writing on the wall, said: “I really don’t know when I’ll pitch again. I don’t know. Can be short time. Can be long time.”

Tim Stoddard plays a role in this, too, but only because he is one Padre relief pitcher who has provided relief. Stoddard bailed out the Padres in Monday’s regularly scheduled game, yielding just one hit in 3 innings of relief and gaining his first victory (he’s 1-3) of the season.

San Diego won, 8-4, and Kevin McReynolds should be equally credited, since he came within a single of being the first Padre ever to hit for the cycle. He had four runs batted in, which included a two-run home run in the second inning. Apparently, he’s out of the slump that prompted Williams to move him to seventh in the batting order.

Apparently, Stoddard also has left his slump behind, although Stoddard, the ultimate realist, always greets success by saying: “Don’t worry. I’ll stink again.”

“The amazing thing about this game is that if you struggle as a pitcher, as a reliever, it’s noticed by everyone,” Stoddard said. “If a hitter goes 0 for 30, it’s different. A pitcher struggles and he looks bad.”

Just like DeLeon.

Most of the time, Stoddard looks bad when he doesn’t struggle. He had entered Monday’s game in the fourth inning in relief of starter Ed Wojna. At the time, the Padres led, 5-4, and the Cubs had a runner on first with one out.

Stoddard, who is 6-feet 7-inches and nicknamed “Bullwinkle,” forced Larry Bowa to ground into a double play.

The following inning was more typically Stoddard. He walked the leadoff man, Chris Speier, got two outs, and then walked two more batters, loading the bases. Just when Mark Thurmond began to stir in the Padre bullpen, Stoddard struck out Keith Moreland on three pitches, Moreland taking the last one, a sensational slider.

In the sixth, he struck out catcher Steve Lake on another breaking ball, but walked the pitcher, Ron Meridith, on four pitches.

Bases on balls have always plagued Stoddard’s career.

“It’s never been a case of him not having (good) stuff,” said Cub Manager Jim Frey, who had Stoddard last year in Chicago and in 1978-79 in Baltimore. “Control is the only question for him. It always has been.”

Still, Stoddard escaped, yielding only a hit to Ryne Sandberg in the seventh. Goose Gossage entered, gave up three hits, but managed to pitch two scoreless innings.

Later a reporter from Chicago told Stoddard that if he had stayed in Chicago, he probably would have helped the Cubs. Stoddard said: “What? Have you seen my ERA (4.40)?”

Then, he gave his usual spiel:

“There are days you do good and days you do bad,” he said. “I won’t shoot myself if I give up a run. I go out and try everyday. The sad part’s when you try, and stink, but you’ve got to try.”

Padre batting coach Deacon Jones has been trying, too. He can’t understand why McReynolds doesn’t hit more to right field. Recently, McReynolds was in an 0-for-25 slump, but his homer, triple and double were all to right field.

McReynolds’ homer was wind-blown to right-center, but he hit it well. His triple was lucky, considering the right fielder, Moreland, lost it in the sun and misplayed it.

Some were worried McReynolds’ slump had gotten to him psychologically, but he said: “It’s just a matter of time (with slumps). They won’t last forever.”

Nothing lasts forever, and that’s the painful truth for DeLeon. Williams hinted that DeLeon’s replacement may be Roy Lee Jackson, the pitcher acquired in the Alan Wiggins deal.

DeLeon did show signs that he still can pitch. Monday’s first game began in the seventh, which DeLeon started and struck out the side. But Davey Lopes singled to begin the eighth, and Durham homered to deep right. That was that.

“I was trying to pitch around him,” DeLeon said of Durham. “My sinker didn’t sink.”

Padre Notes

The suspended game took only 46 minutes to complete. The winner was George Frazier, the loser Luis DeLeon. All statistics are applied to the month of May, so the Padre record for that month goes from 17-8 to 17-9 . . . Lary Sorensen was the losing pitcher Monday. Originally, Dennis Eckersley had been scheduled to start, but had soreness under his right arm. Sorensen, who has worked all year out of the bullpen, started and gave up six hits in five runs in three innings.