Dravecky Provides Pitching and Offense for Padres in 3-1 Win

Bip Roberts left the clubhouse Wednesday carrying a baseball autographed by every Padre, but about two days ago, it wouldn’t have been worth a penny.

“Oh, I’m giving the ball to my dad,” said Roberts, whose parents live in nearby Oakland. “But I wish I could bring it by the old neighborhood. After that 18-1 game (Monday), the neighborhood was all over me, saying: ‘18-1! 18-1!’ I’d like to go over there for about five minutes right now. I’d tell ‘em, ‘See how quick this game turns around?’ ”

Quicker than you can say “left on base,” the Padres left here with two consecutive victories. Wednesday, Dave Dravecky ignored the pain in his left elbow and pitched shutout ball for just more than seven innings. He also hit a two-run single, and the Padres won, 3-1, before 17,590 at Candlestick Park.

The Giants had runners every inning.

But every play seemed to go the Padres’ way.

Men on second and third. Two outs in the fourth. Padres lead, 1-0. Dravecky hits an easy grounder to shortstop Jose Uribe, but the ball hits a pebble, a blade of grass or a stick and bounds into left field.

Two runs score.

The Giants are up in the fifth. Man on third. Chili Davis rips one to left, and Dravecky turns and thinks, “It’s outta here.” But Carmelo Martinez staggers back to the warning track and makes the catch.

Dravecky pumps his fist.

In the eighth, it’s 3-0, but the Giants load the bases with one out. Dravecky has left for the showers, and so has Lance McCullers, who couldn’t pitch effectively on a tender ankle.

It’s up to Craig Lefferts, who faces pinch-hitter Candy Maldonado. Maldonado swings and misses a screwball. Maldonado watches another screwball, and it’s a called strike. Maldonado then grounds a slider back to Lefferts, who throws to the plate for the force. Catcher Terry Kennedy then throws to first, completing an inning-ending double play.

Robby Thompson hits a solo homer off Goose Gossage in the ninth, but Gossage strikes out Jeffrey Leonard to end it.

“I think we’re being punished for what we did Monday,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said.

In the three-game series, the Giants outscored the Padres, 19-7, and outhit them, 35-15.

But the Padres won two of three to move within 1 1/2 games of first-place San Francisco.

“I really don’t believe they’re that much better than us,” Tony Gwynn said. “And we might be even. If they play their best game, and we play ours, I think we’d win. If we play the type of baseball we did the last two games, I don’t think anyone in the division can beat us.”

The difference between the 18-1 loss and the 3-1 win was pitching. Dravecky (6-7), who hardly threw fastballs, kept jamming Giant hitters.

“(The elbow) felt fine today,” he said. “Much better than my last outing. I think the key today was not throwing as many pitches.”

His two RBIs gave him five this season, and since the pitchers have a little contest going to see who’s the best clutch hitter, it’s important to note that Dravecky has pulled within one of Mark Thurmond (six RBIs). Padre pitchers, combined, have 17 RBIs. All of last season, they had 14.

“When you get ‘em (RBIs), you cherish ‘em,” Dravecky said.

Now, in a real hitting race, third baseman Chris Brown of the Giants has pulled ahead of Gwynn for the league batting lead.

Brown: .348.

Gwynn: .344.

Brown said: “I’m not the type of person that looks ahead to September. Tomorrow, I could be second. A week from now, I could be fifth or sixth. I’d rather be 10 games in front.”

Gwynn said: “I could care less. I want to win. We took two out of three here. That was our goal. That’s all I care about.”

Brown: “Tony Gwynn is a much more disciplined hitter than I am. He has a reputation. I have a reputation for free swinging. I’m different. He’s capable of leading the league because he’s a slap hitter.”

Padre Notes Manager Steve Boros will miss Friday and Saturday’s games in Atlanta to attend his daughter’s wedding. Bench coach Harry Dunlop will manage. Asked how he would handle reporters, he said: “I might close the clubhouse, you never know. Ah, I guess I’ll talk to you guys.” . . . . Craig Lefferts, who got Candy Maldonado to hit into that important double play with the bases loaded, leads the major leagues with 39 appearances. “I feel pretty good right now. After I threw 3 innings against Los Angeles, my arm was pretty stiff. But today, once I got loose, I felt good.” Of his screwball, Lefferts said: “On a scale of 1-to-10, I’d say it’s a 7. Last year, it failed me. But in ‘84, I’d have rated it better.” . . . . Eric Show left for San Diego Wednesday to be examined by Dr. Cliff Colwell. Show has a tender right elbow and said Tuesday he may not be able to make his next start. “Eric felt better about it, knowing a doctor was going to take a look at it,” Boros said. No conclusion has made yet as to the extent of the injury. . . . Giant rookie second baseman Robby Thompson broke up a double play Wednesday, flipping the legs out from under Padre rookie second baseman Bip Roberts. Later, Roberts doubled and said something to Thompson. “I told him it was a clean hit,” Roberts said. “And I told him he was my rookie of the year.” Roberts, who got in trouble this year when he failed to choke up on his bat, wasn’t choking up Wednesday. But that’s because he’s using a new bat. “I’m using Tim Flannery’s bat,” he said. “It’s real wood. Mine is like saw dust. Every time I hit with mine, I cracked it. Now, I’ve got a man’s bat.”. . . . Catcher Terry Kennedy, after failing to throw out 22 of 23 runners trying to steal in a stretch from May 13 to June 10, has thrown out six of the last 11. . . . Steve Garvey is 0 for his last 18.

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard FIRST INNING

Padres--Royster reached first on Brown’s error. Gwynn singled to center, Royster taking third. McReynolds flied to right, Royster scoring. Gwynn took second on Brenly’s error. Garvey flied to center. Martinez flied to left. One run (unearned), one hit, two errors, one left.

FOURTH INNING

Padres--Martinez walked. Templeton struck out. Kennedy flied to right. Roberts doubled to left, Martinez taking third. Dravecky singled to left, Martinez and Roberts scoring. Royster popped to Brenly. Two runs, two hits, one left.

NINTH INNING

Giants--With two outs, Thompson homered to left, his third. Leonard struck out. One run, one hit.