Padres Get Runaround From Expos

The Expos’ Mitch Webster, who almost quit baseball a year ago to work for the United Parcel Service, delivered Montreal a 5-4 victory over the Padres Tuesday night.

Webster--not too much bigger than the guy named “Webster” on TV, but much faster--hit three singles, had one RBI, stole two bases, forced a balk and scored the winning run in the seventh inning.

“I had a good one tonight,” he said. “I like these kind, getting involved and scoring runs and whatnot.”

Tim Stoddard got involved, too, and that normally means the Padres lose. In each of Stoddard’s last nine appearances, San Diego has lost. Not that he’s always responsible, but he just doesn’t seem to have the luck of the Irish. This spring in Las Vegas, for instance, Stoddard sat down at the blackjack table, forked out $400 and lost it all in a matter of seconds.

“Ah, there’s more where that came from,” Stoddard told the dealer. “I play for the love of the game.”

Tuesday, Lady Luck spat at him once more. The Expos had overcome a four-run Padre first--highlighted by Steve Garvey’s 11th home run of the season, a three-run job--and they tied it during the sixth off starter Andy Hawkins. Gene Walter replaced Hawkins with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth, and he struck out Tim Raines.

But Stoddard entered to start the seventh for a number of reasons: Manager Steve Boros wanted to use a right-hander against the Expos, a team with dominant right-handed hitters. Goose Gossage wasn’t ready to pitch after throwing three innings against the Mets Sunday. Boros wanted to save righty Lance McCullers for the last inning. There was nobody else.

Webster, leading off the seventh, laid down a drag bunt to Stoddard’s right. Stoddard tried backhanding the ball, bobbled it, and Webster was already across first once Stoddard gripped it.

Boros: “It really should’ve been fielded. There again, Webster’s speed played a role.”

Stoddard: “It wasn’t an easy play, otherwise, I would’ve done it. But it should’ve been caught.”

Webster easily stole second.

“You can’t throw him out,” catcher Terry Kennedy said. “He’s too fast on this turf.”

Andre Dawson bunted Webster to third.

Up came Hubie Brooks. Webster took a big lead off third. Third baseman Graig Nettles, who had pinch-hit for rookie Mark Wasinger (no hits, one error in his debut) in the top of the seventh, signaled to Kennedy for a pickoff play.

Nettles broke for third as Stoddard’s pitch was thrown.

“If he (Brooks) hits it, he can hit it anywhere but third,” Kennedy said, “because Graig won’t be at third.”

He hit it to third.

Nettles remarkably adjusted to field the ball, but he had to go on the ground to do it. Webster, who said he would have been going on any ground ball, scored easily.

“He (Nettles) was diving for a ball that normally would be right at him,” Webster said. “I scored. But if he’d been where he normally is, I think I’m in a rundown.”

Stoddard got the loss.

“That’s just my (bleeping) luck,” Stoddard said of the pickoff play. “It’s off the end of the bat, and the guy (Nettles) has got to make a great play on it. But it’s all irrelevant, isn’t it? We still lose.”

Boros: “That’s about as much of a tainted run as you can get. . . . They stole this one from us.”

The Padres, trying to tie it up, got base runners in the eighth and ninth innings. But Kevin McReynolds grounded into a double play to end the eighth, and Expo reliever Jeff Reardon retired Carmelo Martinez, Garry Templeton and Kennedy with Marvell Wynne on second in the ninth.

Hawkins, who was 10-0 at this time last year, threw well enough to win. Webster drove in the first Expo run in the first, he scored the second Expo run in the second, and he drove in the third Expo run in the fifth. In the sixth, he didn’t get to bat, but Montreal scored without him when Kennedy’s passed ball enabled Brooks to score from third.

Hawkins threw low, but Kennedy somehow closed his glove before the ball got there, and, consequently, muffed it.

“I should’ve caught it,” said Kennedy, who did drive in the fourth Padre run in the first inning. “No excuses . . . I guess I’ll still show up tomorrow.”

Hawkins wouldn’t talk to reporters afterward.

“I’d just as soon pass tonight, fellas,” he said. “I’m pretty well disgusted with this game.”

Garvey was disgusted with home plate umpire Charlie Williams right before his homer in the first. With the count 0 and 1 and two men on, Garvey accidentally touched catcher Mike Fitzgerald’s face mask when he brought his bat back for his practice swings. Usually, the umpire calls time when that happens, but Williams didn’t.

Still, Garvey just assumed Williams would and he stepped out of the box while the pitch was in the air. Williams called it a strike anyhow, and Garvey--who’s never been tossed out of a game in his 16 year career--argued heatedly. So did Boros.

They lost, naturally. But then they won. Garvey homered to left on the next pitch. Kurt Bevacqua always said it doesn’t pay to get Garvey mad.

“I usually get the maddest when there’s an injustice,” Garvey said. “I stepped out for the catcher’s benefit. I would’ve hit him. . . . I expect the umpire to call time, and he calls a strike.”

Call Webster the hero of this game. Just a year ago, Toronto outrighted him to Triple-A. He nearly quit. He almost took a job delivering packages in his hometown--Larned, Kan.--before the Expos gave him a chance. This last winter, though, he did do some work for UPS and found out he gets around the bases a lot faster than he got the mail around.

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard FIRST INNING

Padres--With one out, Gwynn singled to left. McReynolds singled to right, Gwynn stopping at third. Garvey homered to left, his 11th. Martinez doubled to left-center. Templeton flied to right, Martinez tagging and taking third. Kennedy singled to center, Martinez scoring. Wasinger struck out. Four runs, five hits, one left.

Expos--Raines singled to left. Raines stole second. Webster singled to left, Raines stopping at third. Dawson forced Webster, Raines scoring. Brooks struck out. One run, two hits.

FOURTH INNING

Expos--Webster singled to right. Webster stole second. Dawson flied to center, Webster tagging and taking third. Brooks grounded to third, Webster scoring with Brooks taking second on Wasinger’s throwing error. Wallach grounded to short. Galarraga walked. Law flied to right. One run, one hit, two left.

FIFTH INNING

Expos--With two outs, Raines singled to right. Raines stole second. Webster singled to right, Raines scoring. Webster went to second on Hawkins’ balk. Dawson popped to third. One run, two hits, one left.

SIXTH INNING Expos--Brooks doubled to right. Wallach grounded to second, Brooks stopping at third. Brooks scored on Kennedy’s passed ball. Galarraga singled to left. Law forced Galarraga. Law stole second. Fitzgerald was walked intentionally. Krenchicki, pinch-hitting for Hesketh, singled when Royster bobbled his grounder, loading the bases. Walter replaced Hawkins. Raines struck out. One run, three hits, three left.

SEVENTH INNING Expos--Stoddard took the mound. Webster bunted and reached first on Stoddard’s fielding error. Webster stole second. Dawson sacrificed, Webster stopping at third. Brooks grounded to third, Webster scoring. Wallach popped to the catcher. One run (unearned), no hits.