Padres Left Speechless in 13-3 Loss

The San Diego Padres--experts at one-run games, not 10-run games--did not know what to say.

When swarms of writers and broadcasters entered their clubhouse, Carmelo Martinez tapped Tony Gwynn on the shoulder and said: “What in the hell can they ask us after a game like this?”

“Nothin’,” Gwynn said.

And the Padres had nothing here Thursday afternoon. They were beaten, 13-3, by the fourth-place St. Louis Cardinals, who are just getting warmed up.

St. Louis had 20 hits.

Gwynn summed up the game in 20 seconds:

“I’m glad to get out of town myself. Get me to Chicago! You can see when the Cardinals are coming around. They hit bloopers, and they’re gone. Sheeeeew! Just like that.”

Padre Manager Steve Boros, whose team leads the majors with 19 one-run thrillers, had this thrilling analysis:

“I think the St. Louis Cardinals are on their way. . . . I’m glad we don’t play them for a while. . . . I knew it was just a matter of time.”

And time is of the essence with the Cardinals. Think about it. The average time it takes for a bloop single to bounce high up off this hard artificial surface and into an outfielder’s glove is--according to press box experts--about 2.6 seconds.

People like Vince Coleman, Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith run about 20 yards in 2.6 seconds.

That’s pretty fast.

So, on Thursday afternoon, the Cards were blooping balls to the outfield and then hopping, skipping and jumping around the bases. In the pivotal seventh inning, when the Cardinals took a two-run lead and made it a seven-run lead, Coleman stretched a double into a triple.

“I got it quick,” said Gwynn, the right fielder. “And he was looking back at me when I threw it.”

And Smith blooped one to right that bounced so high its hang time was at least three seconds. He scooted to second while Gwynn was saying: “Please come down, ball!”

Boros: “If you witnessed this game today, you know why speed is such a factor.”

Some other factors in the game:

- Tim Conroy. He’s one of the players the Cardinals have to show for Joaquin Andujar from Oakland. A left-handed pitcher, he’s a former No. 1 draft pick who has yet to pick up where he left off in high school.

But, based on Thursday, he’s on his way.

Besides pitching a complete game (yielding only five hits), he had two hits and four RBIs--a two-run double in the seventh off Tim Stoddard and a two-run single off Gene Walter in the eighth.

When was the last time he had a hit?

High school.

“Back in 1978,” he said.

When was the last Cardinal complete game?

Opening day.

Conroy, throwing fastballs, changeups and no breaking balls, said he thought he did fine but added: “I still have things to work on yet.”

- McGee. In two games, he has raised his average from .200 to .234. In the first inning, he singled off starter and loser Dave Dravecky (2-3) and scored on Tito Landrum’s single. In the fifth, he had another single but didn’t score. In the sixth, he had an RBI triple. In the seventh, he had another single.

This is last year’s batting champ.

“He’s on his way, too,” Boros said.

- Smith. In the sixth, when the score had been tied, 3-3, he had come up with Jose Oquendo on third. Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog put on the squeeze play, and Smith bounced another one, high in front of the plate. Catcher Terry Kennedy and pitcher Craig Lefferts waited there, and they, too, said they screamed: “C’mon down, ball!” Once it did, Oquendo was heading for the dugout, having scored.

- Coleman. He had three hits and scored twice.

- Oquendo. He was on base five times and scored four times.

- Dravecky. He lasted 5 innings, giving up 11 hits and five runs.

“A lot were bloops,” Boros said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Dravecky: “Well, just one of those days. They hit it where we weren’t.”

Well, there are few places where the Cardinals ain’t. Their outfield--Coleman, McGee and either Landrum or Andy Van Slyke--catches most everything. Padre outfielders, particularly Martinez in left, have to play deeper at Busch Stadium because they aren’t so fast.

Said Smith: “Right! Last year there was a lot of talk about us being only able to play in Busch, about how we’re tailored to play here. But other clubs tailor their teams to play in their stadiums. That outfield there (with the Padres) couldn’t play in here every day. And that’s not to take anything away from them. . . . Their park in San Diego is tailored for them.”

This park, though, is tailored for Bip Roberts. In three games, he has had three hits, scored three times and stolen a base.

He was moved back to the leadoff spot Thursday, and he singled and scored in the first inning.

At that point, his average was .148.

“I feel like a big leaguer now,” he said.

It’s that fast grass--artificial turf.

“We certainly like it,” Ozzie Smith said.

Boros’ response: “I like those one-run games.”

Padre Notes

Maybe former Padre Manager Dick Williams will join the team in Chicago this weekend--as manager of the White Sox. Ken Harrelson, the White Sox general manager, used to play for Williams in Boston and calls him one of the best field managers ever. And since Tony LaRussa’s job is in jeopardy, Williams is being rumored as his replacement. But so are Jim Fregosi, formerly of the Angels, and Billy Martin, formerly of the Yankees. Williams, on the subject of Martin, told a Detroit radio station this week: “If you could lock him (Martin) up between games, he’d be all right.” . . . Marvell Wynne missed Thursday’s game to be with his wife, April, who gave birth to a baby boy Wednesday night. His name is Marvell Jr. . . . Wynne just so happens to be the Padres’ fastest outfielder, and they need him in a big ballpark like Busch Stadium. “The next time we come in here, you’ll see Wynne in the ballgames earlier,” Manager Steve Boros said. “Carmelo (Martinez) doesn’t have the foot speed you need.” . . . Also, Boros clarified what happened on Ozzie Smith’s 12th-inning fly ball Wednesday night that fell in between Martinez and center fielder Kevin McReynolds and cost San Diego the game. “With two strikes on Ozzie and with Goose (Gossage) pitching, Carmelo moved toward the line. Carmelo’s thinking was right. But in the future, when Carmelo moves, he should tell Mac. Mac stayed where he was, and there was a big gap. We talked about it.” . . . Shortstop Garry Templeton, whose sore knees are acting up again, will be rested today in Chicago.

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard FIRST INNING Padres--Roberts singled to left-center. Roberts took third on Conroy’s wild pickoff throw. Gwynn flied to left, Roberts scoring. McReynolds singled to center. Garvey popped to second. McReynolds took second on a wild pitch. Martinez grounded to third. One run, two hits, one left.

Cardinals--With two outs, McGee singled to center. Clark walked. Landrum singled to right, McGee scoring with Clark stopping at second. Pendleton flied to right. One run, two hits, two left.

THIRD INNING

Padres--Dravecky walked. Roberts grounded to second, Dravecky taking second. Gwynn singled to left, Dravecky scoring. McReynolds doubled to left, Gwynn taking third. Garvey was walked intentionally, loading the bases. Martinez grounded into a double play. One run, two hits, three left.

FOURTH INNING Cardinals--With one out, Oquendo singled to left. Conroy popped a bunt to Dravecky. Coleman singled to right, Oquendo stopping at third. Dravecky balked, Oquendo scoring with Coleman taking second. Smith popped to third. One run, two hits, one left.

FIFTH INNING

Cardinals--With two outs, Landrum doubled to right. Pendleton doubled to left-center, Landrum scoring. Heath lined to first. One run, two hits, one left.

SIXTH INNING

Padres--McReynolds walked. Garvey flied to left. McReynolds stole second. Martinez walked. McReynolds and Martinez advanced on a wild pitch. Royster flied to left, McReynolds scoring with Martinez taking third. Kennedy flied to left. One run, no hits, one left.

Cardinals--Oquendo singled to right. Conroy sacrificed. Coleman singled to center, Oquendo stopping at third. Lefferts replaced Dravecky. Smith sacrificed, Oquendo scoring with Coleman taking second. Coleman stole third. McGee tripled to left-center, Coleman scoring. Stoddard replaced Lefferts. Clark struck out. Two runs, three hits, one left.

SEVENTH INNING

Cardinals--With two outs, Heath walked and stole second. Oquendo was walked intentionally. Conroy doubled to left-center, Heath and Oquendo scoring. Coleman tripled to right, Conroy scoring. Smith doubled to right, Coleman scoring. McGee beat out a grounder to short, Smith stopping at third. Clark singled to right, Smith scoring with McGee stopping at third. Van Slyke popped to the shortstop. Five runs, five hits, two left.

EIGHTH INNING Cardinals--Walter took the mound. Pendleton walked. Heath singled to center, Pendleton stopping at second. Oquendo doubled to center, Pendleton scoring with Heath taking third. Conroy singled to center, Heath and Oquendo scoring. Coleman flied to left. Smith grounded to first. McGee struck out. Three runs, three hits, one left.