Padre Fans Boooo Goooose as He Saves Braves’ Win Streak

Without knowing the situation, it’s difficult to distinguish between a “Gooooose” chant and a “Booooo” on a given night.

Wednesday night, two batters were the difference.

When Goose Gossage entered the game, fans were chanting “Gooooose.” When he left the mound, those weren’t “Goooose” calls from the 15,391 in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Gossage came in to protect a one-run Padre lead with two runners on and one out in the ninth inning. All he protected was Atlanta’s winning streak, which was extended to four games with a 4-2 victory over the Padres.

The Braves, who came to San Diego in last place in the NL West, now are tied for last with Cincinnati. The Padres, after losing three to the Braves, are just one game ahead.

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be in 1986, but Gossage wasn’t supposed to be a punching bag, either.

Sometimes, Gossage does a Marvis Frazier imitation when he takes over. Wednesday was another of those nights as he got floored immediately after taking the mound.

LaMarr Hoyt had pitched well for 8 innings, allowing just six hits and one run. He left with runners on first and second.

By the time Gossage suffered another pounding, Hoyt had been charged with three runs and a loss. Gossage was charged with one run.

“It doesn’t happen every time,” Manager Steve Boros said of Gossage’s downfall. “It does happen sometimes, and I know that. Given that our starting pitcher was tired and getting the ball up in the strike zone, I decided to go to a fresh arm. It didn’t work.”

Gossage first faced Bob Horner, pinch-hitting for Glenn Hubbard. Horner hit Gossage’s first pitch for a run-scoring double to right-center.

“He has been in the league for a long time,” Horner said of Gossage. “He’s a fastball pitcher. It would be pretty stupid to look for anything but a heater. He threw it right there.”

Next up was Rafael Ramirez, pinch-hitting for pitcher Paul Assenmacher. Down went Gossage and the Padres, beaten by Ramirez’s two-run single to left.

Gossage then retired Omar Moreno on a liner to left and Ken Oberkfell on a grounder to first.

By then, it was too late.

“Goose has something like 17 (actually 18) saves,” Boros said. “That means he has done something. He has put us in the clubhouse with a lot of wins. I’m glad I have him, and I’ll go to him again.”

Horner, celebrating his 29th birthday, wanted to return to his parents’ home in Phoenix before the game.

His brother, Scott, is suffering from leukemia and has taken a turn for the worse lately. Bob Horner said he would have been unable to catch a flight to Phoenix until midnight.

He will travel to Phoenix this morning.

“I’m going to go home and hope and pray for my brother’s recovery,” Horner said. “Playing takes my mind away from other things. I’m not the only person who has gone through this. Anyone who has gone through it will tell you it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. When one of your family members has their life threatened, it is hard to keep your mind off of it.”

At the outset of Wednesday’s game, the Padres gave a sign of things to come.

They kept getting runners on base, but they kept leaving them on base.

Steve Garvey hit into inning-ending double plays with two runners on base in the first and third inning. He made it baseball’s version of a triple-double (three double plays in one game) when he did it again in the eighth inning.

Things could have been worse. Garvey was one double play shy of tying the National League record.

Garvey’s first at-bat came in the first inning with runners on first and second. He hit again in the third with runners on first and third.

John Kruk had just driven in the Padres’ two runs with a bases-loaded single in the third.

In the sixth, the Padres couldn’t even score a run on three walks and one single.

Tony Gwynn, who has hit safely in 14 straight games, led off with a walk. Kruk followed by grounding into a double play. Garvey and Terry Kennedy walked, then Marvell Wynne hit an infield single. However, Bip Roberts ended the inning with a grounder to pitcher Rick Mahler, who is 0-6 since June 30.

In the ninth, the Padres had runners on first and third with two out. Pinch-hitter Dane Iorg hit into a game-ending fielder’s choice.

Before the game, Boros gave his nightly talk concerning an imminent Padre winning streak.

“We’re capable of scoring more runs,” Boros said. “If our pitching holds up, we won’t have to score a lot more. Houston is scoring about like us and is holding up. We can have a streak like Houston has had. I don’t want anybody breaking a leg jumping on the bandwagon when it happens.”

Nobody was in danger Wednesday night.

Padre Notes Carmelo Martinez came to the stadium Wednesday thinking that he might start because of his pinch-hit home run in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat. No such luck. Manager Steve Boros doesn’t want Martinez to play at home because the fans usually boo Martinez. When Martinez hit his home run, the fans actually cheered. “I don’t know how long that will last,” Boros said. “We know about fans. They’ll yell after home runs. We know what happens the first time he pops up. We’ll try to find a spot to play him more on the road.” Said Martinez: “Why not play me here? If I can’t play at home, I can’t play in the big leagues. (The booing) doesn’t bother me at all because I know I’m doing my best. It would bother me if I was just going through the motions. They didn’t boo me (Tuesday) night. Sooner or later, they’ll come back to me as soon as I do the job. It’s up to me to do the job.” . . . Boros adjusted his lineup against Atlanta right-hander Rick Mahler Wednesday night. Tim Flannery moved from second to third base and Bip Roberts played second. Graig Nettles, a noted fastball hitter, was rested. “Mahler’s not going to give him a fastball all night,” Boros said. “I thought I would give the lineup a different look and shake it up for one day. It’s nothing permanent.” . . . Kevin McReynolds was rested and Marvell Wynne started in center field. Boros has a platooning system among McReynolds, Wynne, Steve Garvey and John Kruk, with three of the four in any given lineup. “Two of them are pretty hot; John Kruk and Steve Garvey,” Boros said. “I’m taking turns with the other two guys.” . . . Eric Show, suffering from elbow tendinitis, may start another game sooner than expected. “It might not be long,” Boros said. “We have a doubleheader (Aug. 15) in Cincinnati. He’s another guy we can slip into the starting spot.”

PADRES AT A GLANCE

Scorecard

THIRD INNING

Braves--Virgil homered to left-center, his 13th. Hubbard singled to short. Mahler sacrificed. Moreno grounded to second, Hubbard taking third. Oberkfell flied to left. One run, two hits, one left.

Padres--With one out, Hoyt singled to left. Flannery singled to right, Hoyt taking second. Gwynn singled to right, loading the bases. Kruk singled to center, Hoyt and Flannery scoring with Gwynn taking third. Garvey grounded into a double play. Two runs, four hits, one left.

NINTH INNING

Braves--Griffey singled to center. Thomas sacrificed. Virgil walked. Sample ran for Virgil. Gossage took the mound. Horner, batting for Hubbard, doubled to right-center, Griffey scoring with Sample taking third. Ramirez, batting for Assenmacher, singled to left, Sample and Horner scoring. Moreno flied to left. Oberkfell grounded to first. Three runs, three hits, one left.