Simply Marvell-ous Day for Wynne and Padres Win, 7-6

Trader Jack may have outsmarted himself this time.

Outfielder Marvell Wynne, the latest acquisition by Padres General Manager Jack McKeon, was viewed primarily as a reserve who could add some speed to the lineup and supply late-inning defensive help.

Well, look again.

This guy has got some power. Even when he tries to hit grounders, the ball goes in the seats.

Wynne hit two home runs Sunday as the Padres defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 7-6.

“Way to go, marvelous Marvell!” said Goose Gossage after the second of Wynne’s homers, a leadoff line drive off Joe Price in the ninth inning.

“I didn’t know he could hit a ball that far,” said Reds Manager Pete Rose, whose team had lost a 5-1 lead, then moved back ahead on a Kal Daniels homer off Gossage in the top of the ninth.

Wynne’s new manager, Steve Boros, picked up Wynne at a Mission Valley hotel Sunday and delivered him to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. If Wynne plays everyday like he did against the Reds, Boros may alter his regular route to the ballpark.

Unlike Rose, Boros knew Wynne had some dingers in his new bat.

“He hit six in winter ball, and they have some big parks in the Dominican Republic,” Boros said. “He went to a smaller bat (from 32 ounces to 31), changed the way he holds the bat, and showed some power.

“He had a spectacular batting practice Saturday night. He must’ve hit six or seven balls in the seats. He is strong. He may be capable of more power than he has demonstrated.”

Wynne, liberated by McKeon from Pittsburgh on April 3 in exchange for pitcher Bob Patterson, had hit only nine homers in 1,356 major league at-bats prior to Sunday. He had two homers all of last season.

What a difference a winter with Manny Mota made. The Dodgers’ first base coach worked with Wynne during winter league.

“I had the bat on my shoulder, but he got me to hold it straight up,” Wynne said. “It gave me a more compact swing, more bat speed and more power. I feel strong, but I’m not trying to hit home runs. I just want to hit the ball on the ground to the opposite field.”

The Padres were trailing, 5-3, when Wynne, pinch-hitting for Gene Walter, led off the seventh inning with a homer off Tom Browning.

The shock had not worn off when Tony Gwynn, who had homered in the first inning, got his third hit of the day, a single. Rose then removed Browning, who was trying for his 12th consecutive victory going back to Aug. 13, 1985.

Rose brought in left-hander John Franco to face Kevin McReynolds, San Diego’s right-handed hitting center fielder.

This was a mistake.

McReynolds put the Padres ahead, 6-5, with a two-run shot to left center, his second homer of the series.

Again, Boros was the man in the know.

“Kevin has been swinging extremely well in the last couple of weeks,” Boros said. “In fact, he had more good swings in the last week than he had in all of spring training.

“We need to get him on videotape, because he’s really in a groove.”

A replay of the manager’s reaction to Wynne’s game-winning homer would be revealing, too.

“Oh, I knew it was gone,” Boros said. “There was no wishing or hoping for it to get over the fence. I was excited--and relieved.”

The relief had to do with his relief corps, which is tired, according to Boros. He had Lance McCullers warming up in case the game went into extra innings, but he really didn’t want to use him.

“Our guys have been throwing too much down in the bullpen,” Boros said. “We really need a complete game.”

It was obvious in the first inning they wouldn’t get a complete game from Andy Hawkins on Sunday.

Hawkins walked three batters, helping the Reds to a 2-0 lead in the first. They scored two more in the second on a vicious home run by Dave Parker, who concluded the series with two homers, two doubles and five runs batted in.

“Hawk just couldn’t throw strikes today,” Boros said.

But Walter could--and did.

The young relief pitcher struck out seven Reds and didn’t allow a run in 3 innings.

“You won’t see many better jobs of middle relief,” Rose said. “He held ‘em and held ‘em, and the Padres kept chipping away.”

Walter, whose strikeout pitch is a slider, said the pitch was working better for him a week ago in an exhibition against Minnesota.

“What helped me today,” he said, “was that the Reds hitters were very aggressive.”

Of course, Wynne helped, too.

“He is taking it upon himself to force our hand a bit,” Boros said, when questioned about his plans for Wynne. “We have to find ways to get him in the lineup. He can run and hit and steal a base--and hit the ball out of the park.”

Padre Notes

Second baseman Bip Roberts was scheduled to play Sunday, but was sent home with a case of stomach flu. Tim Flannery replaced him. Roberts will be on the bench tonight, with right-hander Bob Welch pitching for the Dodgers. . . . Tony Gwynn was amazed by Dave Parker’s home run. “I couldn’t believe how quickly the ball got in the seats,” he said. “What a line drive! There was no arc on the ball at all. He’s going to have some kind of year.” . . . Left fielder Carmelo Martinez was booed after a sixth-inning base running blunder. After he walked to lead off the inning, he failed to score on a long double by Jerry Royster. Martinez stopped halfway between third and home, and was out in a rundown. . . . Outfielder Jerry Davis, who spent most of last year with the Padres, had surgery on his left knee and will miss the entire season.