Padres Find Life on the Day After, Beat Giants, 3-0

The fog blew in, and the Padres weren’t blown out.

This is news. San Diego players come here to Candlestick Park prepared to freeze (wearing long johns, parkas and mittens) and to lose (they had lost all five this year).

But the Padres defeated the Giants, 3-0, Tuesday night, avenging an 18-1 loss Monday and showing how absolutely ludicrous this sport is.

Remember what Giant catcher Bob Brenly said after Monday’s game? He had cracked: “That’s the great thing about baseball. You can score 700,000 runs in a game, and come back the next day and hardly be able to score.”

Exactly.

One day later, it was the Padres who were on the ball and in front of the ball, too.

Tony Gwynn, who says he hates this place, could not be stopped by wind, by mist, by anything. He tripled in the fourth inning to break up Terry Mulholland’s no-hitter and then scored the first run on Kevin McReynolds’ bloop single.

That same inning, with a San Francisco runner on first, Chris Brown rifled a ball to right. The runner, Chili Davis, tried for third, but Gwynn--knowing the outfield grass here rarely gets mowed--played shallow and was able to get to the ball quickly. He threw Davis out.

Trailing 1-0 in the sixth inning, the Giants got a runner to third. Davis grounded toward the third-base side, and reliever Lance McCullers came over for it. He slipped a little and his throw was low, but Steve Garvey backhanded it one hop for the out.

No tie game.

The crowd booed Garvey (they hate current and former Dodgers), and the song, “Popeye, The Sailor Man” blared over the loudspeaker just to spite Garvey.

Still, the Padres kept playing defense. In the seventh--still leading 1-0--Brown led off with a single. The next hitter, Mike Aldrete, struck out, but Brown was stealing on the play. Catcher Bruce Bochy threw to second, but Garry Templeton was late getting over to catch it and the ball skipped into center.

Brown headed for third, but center fielder Marvell Wynne--even though he juggled the ball--threw Brown out.

McReynolds added an RBI off Greg Minton in the eighth, and Tim Flannery made it 3-0 with an RBI in the ninth.

Goose Gossage entered in the eighth and walked the leadoff man. But he retired the next six batters to earn his 12th save.

“It’s hard to come in here and play if you let other things affect you that shouldn’t--like the weather, the infield dirt, the long grass, the backdrop, the lights,” Gwynn said. “The lights here, if you’re playing right or left, there are a lot of times you lose the ball. You can’t see it. You hope it hits you so it doesn’t roll to the fence. The grass is thick. It’s like Wrigley Field. On ground ball base hits you have no chance to throw a guy out. You’ve got to play shallow in a tight game, otherwise the run will score. I don’t like it. Playing here is no picnic.

“The infield dirt. Oh, it’s hard . . . You can’t dive or slide and not come up with scratches and cuts. It’s old crushed brick . . . I tell you, I hope they get a new stadium.”

Padre pitchers Eric Show, McCullers and Gossage combined on a four-hitter. Show (6-4) got the victory, even though a sore elbow forced him to leave after five innings.

Show has been bothered with elbow problems for three games.

“My arm hurts,” he had said before the game. “You know what it’s like? It’s like you taking your thumb and smashing it with a hammer. The doctor wraps it and it feels a little better, and you slam it again and wrap it and slam it again and wrap it. So it’s rough. As long as you keep throwing on it, you’ll experience soreness and pain. I must have done something to injure (it), but a little time and treatment will heal it. I’ll have to do less throwing in between starts.”

But Show was more concerned after Monday night’s game.

“I may have to miss a start for the first time in my career,” he said. “I may. You know I’ll be fighting as hard as i can not to. When I was warming up for the fifth inning, my elbow was hurting bad and I couldn’t throw hard, so I just wanted to get through the inning. It’s weird to be out there and have a great rhythm, and you know the hitters and you know you’d blow them away if you arm didn’t hurt. It’s a weird feeling, but you know, I don’t think this is anything that rest won’t cure.”

It was another enthusiastic crowd (22,736) at Candlestick, though everybody wore heavy jackets on this summer evening. Some of the Padres were sporting the latest in cold-weather fashion--those mittens and football-like parkas.

But there’s no denying it, Giant fever is here. There’s a sporting goods store in town called “Giants Dugout,” and they mostly sell Giant paraphernalia.

Usually, nobody buys it.

But, as of this week, sales were up 50%.

An entire Los Angeles talk show Tuesday was based on the Giants, and Giant publicists were interviewed by radio stations in San Diego and Florida.

Also, Giant fans from back in New York, where the team used to be be based, have been calling their offices frequently.

People are talking.

Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson: “They’ve got a chance to win that thing . . . Look at that lineup the Dodgers had on the field last night (Monday). And their pitching staff is half of what it used to be. I don’t see any reason why the Giants couldn’t win it.”

Former Giant Manager Frank Robinson: “This is surprising. But I’m happy. I’d have to say I’m surprised, though. The fans there have suffered a long time. I’m happy for them, and (owner) Bob Lurie, he’s a good man. He’s been the owner 10 years, and has suffered a lot. He’s worked very hard to bring them a winner. It’s good for baseball and nice for the city. It’s an underrated baseball city.”

Padre Notes Dane Iorg’s earned-run average was listed with all the other Padre pitchers, and suddenly LaMarr Hoyt’s 6.36 ERA didn’t look so bad. Iorg’s ERA is 36.00. “That’s a shame,” Tony Gwynn said. “He’s got to live with that 36 ERA until he gets to pitch again.” Giant Manager Roger Craig approached Iorg before Tuesday’s game to say: “I’ll teach you the split-fingered.” Iorg said: “Sheesh. I can’t even hit it.” . . . Eric Show, Tuesday’s starter, is still excited about portraying former Giant pitcher Christy Mathewson in an upcoming movie. “He supposedly was a real good guy. And he was pretty tall, too. Six-foot-two, I think. In his day, that was tall. He had blonde hair, too, but nobody knows that. You didn’t know that, did you? People who see the movie won’t know either.” . . . Leftovers from Monday’s 18-1 game: The Giants broke a National League record and tied a major league record with 14 players with one or more hits. Also, the Giants of 1933 won back-to-back games, 18-1, so Giant publicists were walking around here Tuesday, saying: “San Diego beware!” What would be the odds of it happening again? Finally, Gwynn on Monday’s game: “If Dane didn’t pitch, It’d have been tougher to accept. Until that, it wasn’t very funny.” . . . Kevin McReynolds, wearing a protective wrap around his right thumb and forefinger, was back in the starting lineup Tuesday. He missed two starts with a bone bruise. PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard FOURTH INNING Padres--With one out, Gwynn tripled to right-center. McReynolds singled to right, Gwynn scoring. Garvey lined out to short. McReynolds went to second on a wild pitch. Martinez popped out to the catcher. One run, two hits, one left.

EIGHTH INNING

Padres--Bochy singled to center. Flannery ran for Bochy. Kennedy, batting for McCullers, singled to center, Flannery stopping at second. Hensley replaced Robinson. Iorg, batting for Roberts, forced Flannery at third. Gwynn popped out to third. Minton replaced Hensley. McReynolds singled to center, Kennedy scoring, but Iorg out going to second. One run, three hits.

NINTH INNING

Padres--With two outs, Templeton walked. Nettles singled to right, Templeton stopping at second. Flannery singled to center, Templeton scoring with Nettles taking third and Flannery stopping at second on throw to plate. Kennedy was walked intentionally, loading the bases. Gossage grounded to third. One run, two hits, three left.