Padres Drop 4th Straight to Cubs, 6-1

Jamie Moyer made an impressive bid to stay on the Chicago Cubs’ roster Monday.

Moyer threw eight innings of shutout baseball to lead the Cubs to a 6-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.

The rookie southpaw, shelled in his last outing against the Dodgers when he didn’t last the first inning, limited the Padres to five hits. He gave way to Lee Smith, who pitched the ninth and permitted a run-scoring double by Steve Garvey to spoil the shutout.

Moyer, 2-2, who had a 9.37 earned-run average entering the game, did not allow a San Diego runner past second base. The loss was the Padres’ fourth straight and dropped them one game below .500.

The Cubs are carrying 11 pitchers with the addition of Frank DiPino from Houston.

“It’s really up to the club whether they trade me, send me down or what,” Moyer said. “My job is to go out there and do the best I can, try to improve and get better.”

Moyer gave up five runs in the first inning against Los Angeles 11 days ago. Monday, he yielded a leadoff single to Jerry Royster, who went to second on shortstop Shawon Dunston’s error. One out later, Kevin McReynolds walked. But Moyer got Stave Garvey to bounce into a double play, one of three turned by the Cubs.

“Getting the double play relaxed me. Most of my trouble has been in the first inning,” Moyer said. “It helped to get over the hump.”

Jerry Mumphrey went 4 for 4 and Ron Cey drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and a run-batted in double in the eighth to lead the 13-hit attack.

“I just decided I’m not going to power anything out and I’m going up there to make contact,” Mumphrey said.

LaMarr Hoyt, 5-5, suffered the loss. Manager Steve Boros, though, said his pitcher threw well enough to win.

“We just didn’t get any runs for him,” Boros said. “We’re digging ourselves a hole we aren’t going to be able to get out of if we’re going to contend for first place.”

Hoyt said he didn’t think the Cubs hit him hard.

“I didn’t give up any extra-base hits,” said Hoyt, who gave up three runs in seven innings. “Unfortunately, we’re not scoring a lot of runs.”

In the bottom of the first inning, Dunston led off with a double over third base, went to third on Ryne Sandberg’s infield out and scored on Thad Bosley’s grounder to second.

In the sixth, Chicago increased its lead to 3-0. Sandberg led off with a single to center, went to second on an infield out and scored on Leon Durham’s single to right. Keith Moreland, starting at catcher for the first time in two years, singled to left and Mumphrey followed with a single to right to load the bases. Cey followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right field, scoring Durham.

Chicago scored three runs in the eighth on RBI doubles by Cey and pinch-hitter Chris Speier and an unearned run.