Phillie Rookie Stops Padres’ Win Streak, 4-1

The Padres cleared the air with team president Ballard Smith before Friday’s game, but afterward they hardly played with clarity against the Philadelphia Phillies. On one play, Mike Schmidt hit a ball to left field, and Padre outfielder John Kruk’s subsequent relay to the infield nearly landed in the first-base seats.

Schmidt came all the way home--a little league home run, if you will--and the Phillies went on to end the Padres’ three-game win streak, 4-1, at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Rookie pitcher Bruce Ruffin (6-3) pitched a complete game and struck out a career-high eight. He’s the kid who replaced Steve Carlton in the Philadelphia rotation.

“That’s as good as stuff as we’ve seen from a left-hander all year,” Padre Manager Steve Boros said of Ruffin. “He had a good idea. We hit only two balls hard in the first six innings. We took some funny swings.”

The Padres apparently exerted much of their energy in the pregame meeting with Smith. Boros said that it didn’t affect their play on the field, but first baseman Steve Garvey said: “Possibly (it did). Just possibly.”

Still, Boros argued: “I would have been more concerned if we didn’t have the meeting after reading what the players were saying in the papers. We needed to clear the air. . . . It’s been the kind of year when we’ve had things of this (controversial) nature come up from time to time. But the guys always seem to be able to go out at 7:05 and play baseball.”

Right fielder Glenn Wilson had two RBIs to lead the Phillies. Tony Gwynn’s infield single in the eighth inning drove in Bip Roberts with the only Padre run.