Padre Notebook : Flannery Makes Most of His Chance

Now that Bip Roberts has some bumps (and bruises), Tim Flannery is getting a chance to play.

Thursday against the San Francisco Giants, Flannery went 3 for 5 and scored the winning run when he eluded a tag at the plate.

Entering the ninth inning, the teams had been tied, 6-6. But Flannery led off with a single and went to second on Rusty Tillman’s fly.

“If he doesn’t do that, nothing happens that inning,” Manager Steve Boros said. “And he did it with a tight leg that’s been bothering him. It’s another example of being 90 feet more aggressive.”

Flannery then scored on Kurt Bevacqua’s line single to left. But Flannery slid under the catcher’s tag even though the ball beat him to the plate. San Diego went on to win, 8-6.

“He (Flannery) still might be my second baseman,” Boros said. “I won’t rule him out. But if Bip Roberts wins the job, I’ll find ways to get him in the lineup. He’s a manager’s dream. He’s our sixth man coming off the bench like in basketball.”

By the way, Bip will be back. Roberts has a thigh injury, but should play tonight in Yuma against the Cubs.

Bevacqua’s game-winning RBI didn’t make much of an impression.

Boros was asked if it enhanced Bevacqua’s chances of making the team, and he said: “Ed Vosberg is one of the most effective pitchers in camp, and that doesn’t mean he’ll go north with us . . . Kurt also got picked off (second base).”

And he also made a throwing error.

Asked if he was happy with the RBI, Bevacqua said: “Not really.”

Padre radio announcer Jerry Coleman got a taste of his own medicine Thursday. Coleman, notorious for mispronouncing names (he once called Mario Ramirez “Rario Marirez”), was the answer to a trivia question at the stadium here Thursday.

And the public address announcer called him “Bobby Coleman.”