Padres Come Out Swinging to Win : 12 Hits Against Reds Help Them Break Out of Slump, 7-4

One by one, the Padres began to hit. And they scored in the first inning for a change. And scored again and again.

When it ended Wednesday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium, the Padres’ four-game losing streak was over.

San Diego won, 7-4, defeating the Reds with three triples, four doubles and five pitchers.

The Padres had 12 hits by seven players, including two singles by winning pitcher Andy Hawkins, who scored the winning run.

None of the Padres had scored much against the San Francisco Giants. San Diego scored seven runs in losing its four-game series to the Giants that ended last Sunday, so Padre Manager Steve Boros went back to the drawing board.

Actually, his team went back to the batting cage. When Tuesday’s game here was called because of 30-degree temperatures, Boros called for an indoor practice, and he advised that everyone bring their bats. Inside that little cage, they worked.

Maybe that helped.

Then, before Wednesday’s game, Boros, called a team meeting and told hitters to be a lot more selective at the plate. Too many Padres were swinging at the first pitch. “Take a walk every once in a while,” he said.

Maybe that helped.

During Wednesday’s pregame batting practice, the team erupted. Catcher Terry Kennedy was spraying balls everywhere, but mostly over the fences. Carmelo Martinez did the same. As did Graig Nettles. And Steve Garvey. And Tim Flannery.

And Hawkins.

As it turned out, Flannery led off the game with a triple against losing pitcher John Denny. He was then thrown out at the plate on Kevin McReynolds’ ground ball, but McReynolds scored on Garvey’s double to left. And Kennedy, drove in Garvey with a single to center.

It was only the second time this season that San Diego had scored in the first.

Hawkins did allow a third-inning grand slam to Dave Parker. There was a sign in the right-center field upper deck that said: “Most Valuable Parker,” and Parker nearly hit it.

The fans, who earlier had responded most to the local stock market returns that were being posted on the scoreboard, suddenly got pretty loud.

They got pretty quiet in the fourth when Kennedy tripled off the wall in right and scored on a Martinez double. Hawkins drove in Martinez with a single to right.

“It’s uncanny isn’t it?” Hawkins said. “I can’t hit major league pitching.”

He had six hits last season, but already has three this season.

When Flannery doubled, Reds Manager Pete Rose lifted Denny, but Hawkins scored the go-ahead run on McReynolds’ infield single off of Ron Robinson.

In the eighth, with John Franco pitching, Dane Iorg drove in the final two runs with a triple. Martinez had led off the inning with his second double (Marvell Wynne pinch-ran for him), and, later, Garry Templeton was intentionally walked. Iorg, pinch-hitting for reliever LaMarr Hoyt, then drove a ball to left that bounded high over outfielder Eric Davis’ glove and rolled to the fence.

It was 7-4, and it stayed that way.

Other than Parker’s home run, the Reds’ only threat came in the seventh. Hawkins walked the leadoff man, Buddy Bell, on four pitches and came out after Ron Oester’s sacrifice moved Bell to second. His replacement, Gene Walter, pitched around pinch-hitter Max Venable and walked him.

On came Hoyt, who had retired six straight batters last Sunday in his only other performance this season.

He struck out Eric Davis.

He struck out Kal Daniels.

Inning over.

“I like pitching in those kind of situations,” Hoyt said. “It’s a no-lose situation. Obviously, you won’t be around long enough to give up many runs, and you won’t be around long enough to get yourself in a lot of trouble and lose the game. It’s another guy’s runners on base.”

Hoyt should make his first start next Wednesday against St. Louis.

Craig Lefferts and Goose Gossage followed Hoyt to the mound, with Gossage earning his second save.

Boros already has called a batting practice session for today, supposedly an off day.

“We got to keep it going,” he said.

Padre Notes Reliever Lance McCullers still is making rapid progress after pulling a muscle in his lower left rib cage. His status is day-to-day . . . After Wednesday’s game, Pete Rose, who earlier had the flu, returned to the 24-player roster. He optioned rookie outfielder Paul O’Neill to Triple-A.