Padres’ Lead Is Only 1 1/2 : Cubs Win on Homers in Seventh Inning, 4-3

After losing three of four games to the Cubs, including Wednesday’s 4-3 defeat at Wrigley Field, the Padres left town feeling kind of glum.

This was most noticeable in Manager Dick Williams, who actually had been a loveable guy during this entire trip, perhaps in anticipation of next week’s All-Star Game.

But he was not lovable Wednesday.

Question: “What do you think of the upcoming four games in St. Louis?”

Williams: “They’re four games before the All-Star break.”

Question: “What are you looking for in the series?”

Williams: “Some victories.”

Question: “Is it an important series considering the Dodgers are only 2 1/2 games out?”

Williams: “You mean two games out.”

Make that 1 1/2.

For the first time this season, the Padres ached. They have lost five of eight on this trip, and St. Louis, whom they face next, is a first-place team. Also, Andy Hawkins will miss today’s start, Tony Gwynn’s wrist hurts and Steve Garvey will have to do his next television interview wearing a bandage across the bridge of his nose (“I was playing pepper before the game. Bad hop.”)

This team isn’t so pretty right now.

“You have to play 162 games,” Williams said. “We’re just past the halfway point, and, no, we’re not playing well now. Nobody said it’d be easy.”

Meanwhile, the Cubs are turning their fortunes around. After losing three of four against last-place San Francisco last weekend, they played well against the Padres.

Wednesday’s triumph had a touch of 1984 as Chicago dramatically won with power. The Cubs had trailed the Padres, 3-1, entering their half of the seventh inning, and, what’s worse, Goose Gossage had just grabbed his glove and a ball and began to warm up.

But Padre starter Dave Dravecky promptly gave up a single and two homers (to Billy Hatcher, Davey Lopes and Keith Moreland, respectively).

“Anyone watching the game saw Goose Gossage warm up, so Davey’s home run was the key because he tied it up,” Moreland said.

Said Lopes: “Sometimes, when the situation calls for it, you have to (go for a home run). You can’t always leave it up to someone else.”

Playing in Wrigley Field isn’t always easy, especially when the sun is out and the wind is blowing, which is basically every day in the summer. In the first inning, Lopes hit a high popup to shortstop Garry Templeton, who looked up, looked up and then looked down because the sun had blinded him. The ball plopped onto the infield dirt, and Lopes stood on second with a double.

Dravecky, though, who had allowed just two runs in his previous 40 innings (0.44 ERA), escaped. He also escaped in the second, third and fourth innings, each time when the Cubs had two runners.

Meanwhile, Kevin McReynolds, still hitting seventh in the order, had hit a two-run homer to left in the second inning. Before the game, batting coach Deacon Jones, who believes it imperative that he yell at the stoic McReynolds daily, kept saying: “Hit like a man! Hit like a man!”

Apparently, that was the proper motivation.

San Diego had another opportunity in the fourth inning, as Garvey, Graig Nettles and Terry Kennedy hit consecutive singles off of Cub starter and winner Scott Sanderson (5-4). Yet, Garvey was thrown out at the plate by Lopes on Kennedy’s hit to left.

Still, the Padres managed to score on Carmelo Martinez’s sacrifice fly. It was 3-0.

In the fifth, the Cubs scored an unearned run, thanks to a Nettles error. And Sanderson, who has a chronic back injury which limits his movement on the mound, settled down, although it’s not clear whether the Padres were just making him look good.

“He has a real mediocre fastball,” McReynolds said.

With one out in the seventh, Hatcher had hit a looping fly ball that just fell in front of Gwynn. Ryne Sandberg flied out for the second out.

Up came Lopes, who at 5-feet 9-inches and 170 pounds, has more power than one would imagine. Frey has often used him as the cleanup batter, and Lopes, hitting third on Wednesday, hit a long fly ball off of a 1-and-0 Dravecky fastball. At first, it didn’t figure to make it over the fence because the wind had been blowing in. But he’d hit it so hard that it carried, tying the game at 3-3.

The fans made Lopes come out of the dugout to tip his batting helmet. As Moreland, the next batter, stepped up, the fans screamed for more. Bingo. He homered to left, giving the Cubs the lead.

Padre Notes Mark Thurmond (3-6) will replace Andy Hawkins (11-2) in the rotation today in St. Louis. Hawkins, who won his first 11 decisions of the season, has a cut on his right index finger which prevents him from throwing a cut fastball and a slider. If he is named to the All-Star team, he will not go. “If I miss a start, I can’t pitch in the All-Star Game,” Hawkins said. “It was something I was looking forward to. I was excited about it, but you’ve got to look down the road. I’ve got a chance to heal it, and give the team a good second half. It’s more important to help the Pads.” Manager Dick Williams said it’s possible that Hawkins will start the Padres’ first game after the All-Star break, Thursday, July 18, at home against Pittsburgh.