Astros Make Hawkins, Padres Pay for Two 8th-Inning Mistakes

Two get-ahead swings met two get-ahead fastballs in the eighth inning to lead the Houston Astros to a 7-2 win over the Padres on Sunday afternoon at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

That was Andy Hawkins’ homespun Texas description of the home runs hit on the first pitches he threw to Mark Bailey and Bill Doran.

The homers broke a 2-2 tie, and were instrumental in the Astros snapping the Padres’ post-strike, three-game winning streak.

Coupled with the Dodgers’ 4-0 win Sunday over Cincinnati, the Padres and Reds fell seven games behind Los Angeles. The Padres play host to the Reds in a four-game series beginning tonight.

Hawkins had retired 10 of the last 11 hitters going into the eighth inning. He had allowed only five hits and both Houston runs were unearned.

“He was going along pretty good,” catcher Terry Kennedy said, “but if you make mistakes, you pay up here.”

Hawkins threw a mid-thigh fastball that Bailey, a good low-ball hitter, parked over the 370-foot marker in right-center field.

Pitcher Bob Knepper followed with a line single to right, which really annoyed Hawkins and brought pitching coach Galen Cisco to the mound.

“I was obviously mad after Knepper got that hit and Galen told me to cool off,” Hawkins said. “We also talked about how we would handle certain bunt plays.”

But there were no bunts. Not with Padre killer Bill Doran coming up. He may bat leadoff, but he’s the Astros’ leading home run hitter with 11.

No. 11 came on Hawkins’ first pitch, a fastball that was supposed to be on the outside part of the plate. Instead, it was right down the middle.

Seconds later, a souvenir headed toward the contingent from the Navy seated in deep right field. Exit Hawkins (14-4), who was relieved by Craig Lefferts.

If Jerry Royster had reached base in the seventh inning, Doran and Bailey might not have even hit against Hawkins in the eighth.

Kennedy led off the seventh with a single and was forced at second by Graig Nettles. Royster followed with a fly to right, bringing up Hawkins with a man at first and two out.

If Royster had gotten a hit, Hawkins would most probably have been batted for.

But with two out, Manager Dick Williams decided against hitting for Hawkins and running for Nettles

“I still felt fine and Puff (Nettles) had some at-bats left in him,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins hit a line drive right at Doran at second. The tall right-hander then headed to the mound.

An Astro player who almost never got to bat even once in Sunday’s game was Knepper.

The left-hander doesn’t usually fare too well against the Padres, and the first inning of Sunday’s game was no exception.

However, after the Padres loaded the bases with nobody out, Knepper (10-9) settled down to pitch what he said was his best game in a while.

For a few moments, the crowd of 23,324 thought they might be in for a Padre laugher.

Miguel Dilone, starting in center field and leading off for the third straight game, singled to left. Garry Templeton followed with a hit-and-run ground-ball single to center that moved Dilone to third. Tony Gwynn walked.

In the Padres’ revamped lineup, Steve Garvey was batting cleanup, and he was up with the bases loaded and no one out.

“I came up there wanting to hit the first pitch I could drive,” Garvey said. “He had just walked Tony, so the percentage is he’s going to come in.”

On the first pitch, Garvey pulled an inside fastball down the third-base line. Third baseman Denny Walling backed on the hard-hit ball and turned it into a double play.

Dilone scored, but Knepper was still breathing a lot easier. Especially when Carmelo Martinez followed with a fly to left.

“In previous games,” Knepper said, “Garvey had been taking outside pitches to right for hits. I decided to jam both him and Martinez today.”

Garvey and Martinez each went 0-4.

“I talked with Les Moss (a pitching coach with the Astros) before the game,” Knepper said, “and he felt the Padres did a good job hitting my sinkers. So I threw more curveballs and inside fastballs.”

He didn’t throw any “get ahead” fastballs, and that proved to be the difference.

Padre Notes

San Diego scored its second run on Terry Kennedy’s two-out RBI double to right-center in the fourth. . . . Jerry Royster had committed only two errors going into Sunday’s game. He doubled that total Sunday. He dropped a fourth-inning throw from Garry Templeton on a play in which Craig Reynolds would have been forced at second. In the eighth, Royster’s overthrow enabled Glenn Davis to score Houston’s sixth run. . . . There were no complaints about the condition of the field following the Chargers’ exhibition game Saturday night. Said Andy Hawkins: “I could tell where the 290-pounders were running around, but it didn’t bother me.”

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard FIRST INNING Padres--Dilone singled to left. Templeton singled to center on a hit-and-run, Dilone moving to third. Gwynn walked, Templeton moving to second. With the bases loaded, Garvey grounded into a third-to-second-to-first double play, Dilone scoring and Templeton moving to third. Martinez flew to left. One run, two hits, one left.

FOURTH INNING

Astros--Reynolds singled to center. Walling’s bouncer up the middle was handled by Templeton. Royster dropped Templeton’s throw at second, Reynolds safe on Royster’s error. Cruz forced Walling at second, Reynolds moving to third. Mumphrey singled to right, Reynolds scoring and Cruz going to third. Davis’ sacrifice fly to deep right-center scored Cruz. Bass popped to shortstop. Two runs, two hits, one error, one left.

Padres--Gwynn singled to right. Garvey popped to the catcher. Martinez called out on strikes. Kennedy doubled to right-center, Gwynn scoring. Nettles grounded to short. One run, two hits, one left.

EIGHTH INNING

Astros--Bailey homered to right-center, his eighth. Knepper singled to right. Doran homered to right, his 11th, Knepper scoring. Reynolds bounced to the pitcher. Walling singled to right. Lefferts in relief of Hawkins. Cruz flew to right. Mumphrey flew to center. Three runs, four hits, one left.

NINTH INNING

Astros--Davis doubled to left-center. Bass struck out swinging. Bailey walked. Knepper forced Bailey at second, Davis scoring from second on Royster’s wild throw past first. Knepper went to second. Doran doubled down the third base line, Knepper scoring. Reynolds called out on strikes. Two runs, two hits, one error, one left.