Padres Lose to Mets as Mitchell’s Bunt Becomes a Double

San Diego native Kevin Mitchell--who figures if you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em--turned what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt into a game-winning double Wednesday night as the Mets defeated the Padres again, 4-2.

Mitchell’s grandma, Josie Whitfield, is a dedicated Padre fan who keeps predicting San Diego victories over the Mets, but Kevin--who used to dream about playing at home--keeps shaking his head no. And Wednesday, he shook up third baseman Jerry Royster with his heroics.

It was the eighth inning--the score tied at 2-2--and Padre reliever Gene Walter had just walked leadoff man George Foster and watched Ray Knight’s dribbler down the third-base line roll and stay fair. Now, with men on first and second, Mitchell came up with the bunt sign on.

Moments earlier, Met Manager Davey Johnson had pulled Mitchell aside for a chat.

“Mitch,” he said, “they’ll probably run a wheel play (the first baseman and the third baseman come up for the bunt, while the shortstop covers third and the second baseman takes first). If you see the shortstop move at all, hack!”

Mitchell--who says he’s the world’s worst bunter--saw the shortstop, Garry Templeton, “twitch.”

That was all he needed.

He swung.

He almost knocked Royster’s block off.

The game-winning run came in as the ball bounded into left field.

Tim Tuefel then beat out a double-play ball, which scored an insurance run and moved Mitchell to third.

Royster pulled him aside for another chat.

“Mitch,” he said, “Man, what you doing swinging like that?! You made my heart stop!”

The Padre one-game winning streak is stopped. The loser was Walter (1-1), who had unbelievably bad luck. Facing Foster in that eighth inning, he got behind 2-1 and then threw a slider. Foster checked his swing, and the Padre bench kept yelling for home plate umpire Bruce Froemming to ask the first base umpire if he went all the way around. Froemming couldn’t hear them.

They kept yelling, so Froemming, who didn’t know what the racket was about, came over and pointed at the bench. Manager Steve Boros had to come out and explain, but it was too late. Walter walked Foster. And Knight’s little squibber down third was unlucky, too. He barely made contact, but Royster figured he had no play and would have to see if it would roll foul, which it didn’t.

“I guess I could have run in and barehanded it and thrown it in the stands,” Royster said. “Certainly, I wouldn’t have thrown anyone out.”

As for Mitchell’s hit, Royster said.: “Yeah, it was a planned play. But I wouldn’t have caught it anyway, unless I was all the way back. I’m just glad he didn’t hit it right at my face when I was up there.”

Elsewhere in the clubhouse, starting pitcher and starring actor Eric Show was playing the guitar calmly. Again, he had pitched decently--giving up six hits and two runs in 5 innings--but, again, he had little to show for it. Did anyone know that only Dwight Gooden and Fernando Valenzuela have more quality starts (six innings with three earned runs or less) than Show in the last three years?

True story.

“It’s been a tough year,” said Show, whose teammates have given him only 13 runs in 12 starts. “There have been a lot of games like this. I don’t think I threw exceptionally well tonight, but I held them to a fair amount of runs considering the stuff I had.”

Show, of course, still is being kidded by teammates, who find it intriguing that he will play the part of former New York Giant pitcher Christy Mathewson in an upcoming movie.

“They keep saying: ‘Keep me in mind for extra parts in the film,’ ” said Show, whom some writers are already calling “Christy.”

The Padres could use some extra runs. They ended this nine-game road trip 3-6 and have dropped below .500 (25-26). Wednesday, they managed only two hits in six innings against winner Bruce Berenyi, and reliever Roger McDowell no-hit them for three innings.

Tony Gwynn--who continues, for some reason, to call himself a “punch-’n’-judy hitter,” slammed a tape-measure home run in the third inning (about 400 feet), and that put the Padres ahead 2-0. But they had only one baserunner after the homer--when McDowell walked Terry Kennedy in the seventh. Kennedy immediately was doubled off after Carmelo Martinez hit a line drive that was caught in right.

“This whole trip . . . today’s game . . . yesterday’s game . . . Yuk!” Gwynn said. “We’re not playing worth a nickel right now, and we’ll keep losing if we keep this up.”

Tuesday, General Manager Jack McKeon--watching the games on television back home--had fumed.

“I’m always concerned,” he said. “This club should be playing better than it’s playing. It looks sometimes like it’s half asleep. They need a little more drive, a little more intensity if we want to win this thing. It’s up for grabs, and we got to jump on it. We can’t sit back and think it’s gonna happen. We’ve got to go after it.”

Mitchell--a 24-year-old who can play third, short and the outfield--is the human novel. Growing up in San Diego, he was involved with gangs. His brother was killed, and Kevin himself was shot three different times. But he went straight and said he’d love to come on home.

“My whole life I wanted to play for the Padres,” he said. “Now--damn it--it won’t happen.”

But why take it out on your poor grandma?

Padre Notes Manager Steve Boros said Bip Roberts will come off the disabled list for tonight’s game with the Braves. Roberts has missed 14 games with a strained ligament in the groin area. Infielder Mark Wasinger, who went 0 for 8 and had three errors in three games, will be sent back to Las Vegas. . . . Shortstop Garry Templeton (back injury) made his first appearance since May 31, coming in Wednesday night as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning. Graig Nettles, who has missed four games with a hamstring injury, is questionable for tonight’s game. . . . Terry Kennedy turned 30 Wednesday. “Best birthday yet,” he said. “No, No. 1 was a good one, too.” . . . More on Eric Show’s movie. It appears Christy Mathewson didn’t have a mustache, which means Show will have to shave. “Well, I’ll do it,” he said. “But once they see it off, they’ll want me to put it back on again.” Also, Show says he plans on studying Mathewson’s motion. One problem: Sources say there’s only one film account of Mathewson pitching. Said Show: It’s the only way I can think of to win 300 games in 90 minutes.” . . . Steve Garvey had a busy week in New York. Tuesday, he filmed Good Morning America, and he appeared on CBS Morning News on Wednesday.

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard THIRD INNING

Padres--With one out, Flannery walked. Gwynn homered, his sixth. McReynolds flied to right. Garvey flied to center. Two runs, one hit.

SIXTH INNING

Mets--With one out, Carter walked. Heep singled to center, Carter stopping at third. Foster singled to center, Carter scoring with Heep stopping at second. Knight singled to center, Heep scoring. Foster took third and Knight took second on McReynolds’ fielding error. McCullers replaced Show. Corcoran, hitting for Santana, was walked intentionally. Strawberry, hitting for Berenyi, struck out. Dykstra flied to center. Two runs, three hits, three left.

EIGHTH INNING

Mets--Walter took the mound. Foster walked. Knight reached on an infield single, Foster stopping at second. Mitchell doubled to left, Foster scoring and Knight stopping at third. Lefferts replaced Walter. McDowell walked, loading the bases. Dykstra struck out. Tuefel, hitting for Backman, forced McDowell with Knight scoring and Mitchell stopping at third. Hernandez flied to right. Two runs, two hits, two left.