Garvey’s Streak Lives, but Padres Left Flat-Footed

Steve Garvey’s streak is still alive, but are the Padres?

For the sixth time in seven games, they lost because they couldn’t master the art of putting bat on ball. This time, St. Louis’ Vince Coleman beat them single-handedly (or is it single-leggedly?), 3-2. Coleman stole a base (his 63rd), scored a run and had his first game-winning RBI of the season Friday night.

“ ‘Bout time,” Coleman said of his RBI.

“It took you 85 games,” teammate Ozzie Smith said. “That’s pitiful.”

It took Padre Manager Steve Boros 8 innings to get Garvey in the ballgame. Boros continues to search for a lineup that can score a run, and he thinks rookie John Kruk can help. So Garvey--for the second time in three games--was benched for Kruk. In the ninth inning, San Diego trailed by a run and had a runner on second with two outs.

Garvey--who had played in a Padre record 265 consecutive games--was sent in as a pinch-hitter.

Todd Worrell got him to fly to right.

“I still think I’ll be a valuable asset,” Garvey said. “History kind of proves that. It’s a situation where he (Boros) is trying to make adjustments, but--in time--my play will be valuable.

“He knows we’re not going to win without me. That’s not a bold statement because we need a lot of guys going to win--(Graig) Nettles, Tempy (Garry Templeton), Terry (Kennedy). . . . Now is as good a time as any to maneuver. This might be a good time to rest me.”

And that’s because of the heat. Here in St. Louis, the Arch must be about to wilt. The temperature is in the 100s during the day. Of course, roadrunners like Coleman love the heat.

“Sky’s the limit,” he said when asked how many bases he would steal in ’86.

In the first, he led off with a walk against starter and loser Ed Whitson (seven innings, six hits, three runs) and immediately stole second. Catcher Kennedy even threw a pea down to second base, but Coleman beat the tag easily. He took third on Smith’s ground out and then scored on Andy Van Slyke’s single to center off a Whitson palm ball.

“I couldn’t have thrown that pitch better if I’d walked up to the plate and handed it to Terry,” Whitson said of Van Slyke’s RBI.

The Cardinals scored two more in the second, all they would need. This time, Coleman slapped a hanging palm ball to right for the game-winner. Smith had the other RBI.

As for the Padres, Kruk’s ground out against winning pitcher Bob Forsch in the first inning scored Tim Flannery, who had led off the game with a ground-rule double. Then, Dane Iorg blooped a pinch-hit double to center in the eighth off Ricky Horton and scored on Gwynn’s subsequent single to right. Kruk followed with a single, and with only one out, here was a real live Padre rally. They trailed only by one.

But Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog inserted Todd Worrell (19 saves), who retired McReynolds on a fly ball and broke Kennedy’s bat with a dynamite fastball--Kennedy rolled out to the pitcher.

Nettles led off the ninth with a single (Bip Roberts pinch-ran), and Marvell Wynne bunted Roberts to second. Templeton inadvertently hit a check-swing ground out, leaving it all up to Garvey, who did not deliver.

Afterward, the subject was Coleman and how the Padres would do anything to have a player like him. In the fifth, for instance, Coleman lined a ball to first that Kruk let roll through his legs for an error. Coleman never stopped, as he sprinted for second. Gwynn, in right field, knew he had to barehand it and throw immediately to get him out.

He was out.

“But we just barely got him,” Gwynn said.

Padre Notes

While in Pittsburgh last week, General Manager Jack McKeon worked out a deal with the Pirates that would enable him to send second baseman Bip Roberts to the minor leagues if necessary. Previously, Roberts--who was drafted away from the Pirates this winter--had to complete the entire season on the active 24-man roster or else the Pirates could reclaim him. But McKeon gave Pittsburgh an undisclosed minor leaguer, and the Pirates waived their rights to Roberts. . . . Here’s a stat that proves the Padre weakness is the middle of their lineup: Since June 19, Steve Garvey, Kevin McReynolds and Graig Nettles have combined for two homers. In that same span, Giant pitcher Mike LaCoss has two homers himself. Also, Houston’s Denny Walling and New York’s Kevin Mitchell--neither a Babe Ruth type--both have four homers in that same span. . . . One of the reasons former Padre Alan Wiggins was sent down is his attitude. One day after striking out, he threw his bat and hit the on-deck batter Cal Ripken. Ripken said to him, “Do that again, and I break your back.” . . . In Beaumont, Tex. (Double-A), the Padres have moved 1984 No. 1 pick Shane Mack from outfield to third base as they look to replace Nettles. . . . Eric Show--tendinitis in his elbow--is expected to rejoin the team this weekend after being examined in San Diego.