Cool, Then Game Lost by Padres : Two Ejected Arguing Umpire’s Decision in 9-7 Setback to Phils

Morganna didn’t show up at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium Sunday afternoon.

Baseball’s kissing bandit did not make an appearance, but just about everything else that could happen did.

In a two-hour, 56-minute game that featured 25 hits, five home runs, five doubles, four stolen bases, 11 pitchers, a manager and coach being evicted, and Steve Garvey vehemently arguing an umpire’s call, the Phillies defeated the Padres, 9-7.

There was more action than interest in a game between teams that collectively trail their division leaders by almost 30 games.

Throughout the afternoon, the 15,765 fans were busy trying to keep track of Pete Rose’s assault on Ty Cobb’s hit record, the Charger game in Buffalo, the Dodger-Met game, and whether John McEnroe would win the U.S. Open.

You almost wondered why they were there. Probably to be a part of the crowd that enabled the Padres to go over the two million mark in season home attendance for the first time in the club’s history. And to get the commemorative pins that were distributed.

Aside from seeing Jerry Royster and Garry Templeton hit home runs, the fans were subjected to another batting practice type of performance by the Padre pitching staff.

The Padres completed a 2-7 home stand during which they used 40 pitchers and were outscored, 58-30. It came on the heels of a 6-3 trip against the same three Eastern Division teams.

In a performance that rekindled memories of last year’s postseason, Padre pitchers gave up 15 home runs in those nine games, including five to Met slugger Gary Carter and two to Phillie non-slugger Luis Aguayo on Sunday.

The frustration among the Padres seemed to reach its peak in the bottom of the ninth.

Trailing 9-7 and with Tony Gwynn on first with nobody no one out, the Padres saw Garvey hit a hard grounder down the third base line. Rick Schu backhanded the ball and uncorked a high throw that forced first baseman Mike Schmidt up the line.

Umpire Fred Brocklander called Garvey out.

“I thought Garvey came down on Schmidt’s foot,” Brocklander said, “and he was out.”

Garvey became unglued at Brocklander’s call. He yelled, stamped his feet, waved his arms and then started his outburst all over again.

“Have you ever seen me argue?” Garvey asked. “I’ll guarantee you I was safe. He (Schmidt) was on the bag, I was already there and the ball was behind me.

“I don’t argue unless I’m quite sure that I’m right . . . Freddie’s human ,and he has had a little trouble at first base.”

Garvey was referring to the controversial home run hit by Danny Heep of the Mets on June 2. Brocklander’s “foul” call touched off a furor which ended with the home plate umpire calling the ball fair.

No reversal came Sunday.

First base coach Jack Krol, who is normally as calm as Garvey, was so outraged that he had to be restrained by Manager Dick Williams.

Williams and Krol in a bear hug, Garvey continually pleading his case to Brocklander and his cohorts, and the fans screaming “Replay” made for quite a scene. As is the case with most controversial calls, there was no replay on the scoreboard.

“I said Garvey beat the play,” Krol said. “Then he (Brocklander) said I said that Schmidt was off the bag. That got me a little excited.”

Williams: “He (Brocklander) called Jack a liar and that’s when he went ape.”

Krol was thrown out of a game for only the second time in his nine-year major league career.

“I said Jack was a liar,” Brocklander said. “That really upset him. I threw Jack out for using profanity. “Then, I threw Dick out for using profanity.”

Meanwhile, the scoreboard was flashing the fact that Pete Rose had tied Cobb’s all-time base-hit record, and that the Chargers were leading the Bills 14-9. Back on the field, the manager-less Padres got an infield hit from Kevin McReynolds that put the tying run at first. After Carmelo Martinez bounced out, keeping Gwynn at third and moving McReynolds to second, Graig Nettles was sent up to pinch-hit for Kurt Bevacqua. Left-hander Dave Rucker came on in relief of right-handed Kent Tekulve. Nettles hit a towering foul fly to deep right-field that was caught by Glenn Wilson to end the game. Padre Attendance

Attendance 15,765 1985 total (66 dates): 2,005,894 1984 total (66 dates): 2,583,117 Increase: 422,677 1985 average: 30,392

First time the Padres have gone past the two million mark