Garvey and Co. Save Best for Last : Padres Rally for Three in the Ninth to Beat Astros, 4-3

The Padres turned the tables on the Cardiac Kids from Houston Saturday night.

The Astros have won 23 games in their last at-bat this season.

It was San Diego’s turn Saturday when they scored three in the bottom of the ninth against Astro ace reliever Dave Smith to win, 4-3.

Friday night, Houston had scored three in the ninth to pull out a victory.

Steve Garvey’s single to center on a 2-2 pitch with nobody out drove in Marvell Wynne from third and Kevin McReynolds from second with the tying and winning runs.

“He challenged me with a fastball away,” Garvey said. “I said: ‘Thank you.’ ”

Garvey was 0 for 3 and had struck out twice against Nolan Ryan before coming to bat in the ninth.

With first base open, would the Astros walk Garvey intentionally and pitch to Bip Roberts?

“I guess they thought I wasn’t swinging well,” Garvey said. “I was glad to get the opportunity.”

Smith usually cashes in on his save opportunities.

Those were the first runs chargers to Smith since July 20. He has converted a team record 30 saves in 36 opportunities.

But the ninth inning belonged to the Padres, who had just three hits in the first eight innings.

Tony Gwynn led off the inning by beating Smith to the bag on a bouncer handled by first baseman Glenn Davis. It was ruled an infield hit. Even though the Padres were down, 3-1, Gwynn stole second and went to third on an error by shortstop Dickie Thon, who couldn’t handle the throw at second.

Wynne looped a single to center to score Gwynn. McReynolds lined a single to left and Wynne never hesitated as he rounded second and he easily made it to third. McReynolds took second on the play.

“We had some awfully good base running that inning,” Padre Manager Steve Boros said. “Marvell Wynne going to third really set up the inning for us.”

Garvey followed with the winning hit to end what was a very strange game.

In the first inning, LaMarr Hoyt--known for his impeccable control before suffering through a wild and disappointing season this year--was as wild as he could possibly be.

The Padre right-hander threw 13 pitches.

His first one hit Billy Hatcher.

The next 12 were out of the strike zone. He walked Bill Doran, Denny Walling and Glenn Davis.

Showing that he could be wild in all directions, Hoyt also tossed a ball over Garvey’s outstretched glove on an attempt to pick off Hatcher.

Trailing 1-0 with the bases loaded and Kevin Bass coming to the plate, Hoyt was relieved by Gene Walter. Bass took a strike, which was dropped by catcher Terry Kennedy.

The strike and the bobble drew a sarcastic round of applause from the crowd of 32,729 fans. Bass proceeded to hit a sacrifice to center to make it 2-0. Doran singled home Hatcher with two out in the fifth to make it 3-1. The Padres got their lone run against Ryan in the second inning on a two-out single by Kennedy and an RBI double to left-center by Graig Nettles.

Ryan allowed just two hits, struck out six and walked one in seven innings before coming out because he had thrown his allotted number of 100 pitches.

Charlie Kerfeld started the eighth, but was relieved by Smith when he got into trouble.

Then came the unexpected ninth-inning fireworks that preceded the planned postgame sky show.

Padre Notes Las Vegas Star Manager Larry Bowa, rumored to be a possible successor to Steve Boros in San Diego, sat with Padre General Manager Jack McKeon in McKeon’s box in Jack Murphy Stadium during Saturday’s game. . . . After beating Vancouver, 15-7, in the decisive fifth game of the Pacific Coast League championship series Friday night, the Stars took a 7 a.m. flight home from Vancouver to Las Vegas. The nine players recalled by the Padres were expected to arrive in San Diego late Saturday night or today. “It’s been a heck of a 24 hours for them,” Boros said. First baseman Tim Pyznarski, shortstop Gary Green, third baseman Randy Asadoor and catcher Benito Santiago will be inserted in the Padre starting lineup as early as today, Boros said. Pitcher Ed Vosberg will start against the Giants Wednesday, and Jimmy Jones and Ray Hayward will get starts in Houston next weekend. . . . John Kruk left Saturday night’s game because his right hand was bothering him. Kruk hurt his hand while swinging at a pitch in Friday night’s game and he aggrravated it Saturday. Gene Walter allowed just one hit and one run in 4 innings Saturday before leaving the game with a right ankle sprain suffered while backing up the plate in the fifth inning. Both players were taken to a local hospital for precautionary X-rays.