Padres Win in 12th After They Monkey Around in the 9th

First came the monkee business. The Padres blew a three-run ninth-inning lead Saturday to the Philadelphia Phillies, as the tying run scored with two outs on Jerry Royster’s fielding error. Later, two Padres were ejected for saying nasty things to the umpires. Then in the 12th inning, Bruce Bochy won the game, 4-3, with a bases-loaded single through a five-man Phillie infield.

“The people were getting restless to see the Monkees,” infielder Tim Flannery said. “We didn’t want to disappoint them.”

When the game was out of the way, on came the Monkees, the musical group that’s attempting a bigger comeback than the Padres. A crowd of 25,884 patiently sat through Saturday’s ballgame so they could cheer on Davey, Peter and Mickey. Only one banner hung from the stands Saturday, and it didn’t say: “We love you, Garv.” It said: “I love you, Peter.”

But the game wasn’t all bad. Kevin McReynolds drove in two first-inning runs. Later, Garvey hit home run No. 19 to make it 3-0.

The ninth inning, though, was a microcosm of the Padre season. Mike Schmidt led off with a single to left off LaMarr Hoyt, and then Glenn Wilson lifted a popup to the infield that Garvey almost dropped. But he didn’t, and there was one out.

Next, Juan Samuel banged a home run to left--the Padre lead now one run. So Goose Gossage came on to replace Hoyt, and the first batter he faced (John Russell) blooped a ball to center. Marvell Wynne, a late defensive replacement, got a poor jump and couldn’t get in to catch it. Gary Redus ran for Russell, so he became the tying run.

Immediately, he tried stealing second. Catcher Terry Kennedy threw perfectly to Flannery, but second base umpire Larry Poncino said Redus slid under the tag. Flannery rarely argues, but he did this time, meaning he was sure Redus was out.

Nonetheless, Steve Jeltz grounded out, Redus running to third. With two outs, pinch-hitter Luis Aguayo stepped up. He hit one to third, and Royster--another defensive substitution--tried backhanding it and missed, the ball bounding into left as Redus tied the score.

In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Dane Iorg struck out looking, and he objected to the call by home plate umpire Greg Bonin. He said something pretty bad because Bonin threw him out of the game immediately. Then, Gossage--in a bad mood after the top of the ninth--started screaming at the umps, and first base umpire Frank Pulli threw Gossage out.

In the 12th, Flannery lifted a ball to left. It tailed away from Redus, who couldn’t catch it and was charged with a two-base error. Tony Gwynn was walked intentionally, bringing up Wynne. Third base coach Jack Krol put on the bunt sign, but Wynne missed his first attempt. The bunt sign was still on, but Wynne swung away on the next pitch and singled over a pulled-in infield to load the bases.

“I thought they took off the sign,” Wynne said.

“No, we didn’t,” Manager Steve Boros said.

The Phillies then moved right fielder Glenn Wilson behind second base, making him a fifth infielder. McReynolds, the next batter, forced Flannery at home, so it was up to Bochy.

Facing Kent Tekulve, he lined one to center, just beyond Wilson’s glove to end the game.

“I looked out there, and the infield looked pretty filled up,” Bochy said. “I was lucky to get it through.”