Bass’ Single in Seventh Inning Rallies Astros Past Padres, 5-4

Houston’s Kevin Bass, with one swing of his bat, rallied the Astros to a 5-4 victory over the Padres Friday night and moved the Astros a step closer to the National League West crown.

A combination of Houston victories or San Francisco losses totaling six would give the Astros their first division title since 1980.

“I was just trying to hit it hard,” Bass said of his seventh-inning single, his third hit of the game.

“You just hit it and hope for a hole. You don’t drive a baseball like a golf ball.”

“This one isn’t any more important than the others,” Astros Manager Hal Lanier said. “We still haven’t clinched it, but what this team did tonight it has been doing all season.

“They don’t give up.”

Denny Walling’s one-out single started the winning rally after Bill Doran reached base on a fielder’s choice. Glenn Davis tied the score with a single to right, scoring Doran to set up Bass’ single to right that scored Walling.

Houston had fallen behind, 4-2, in the fourth when the Padres reached Nolan Ryan for three runs. Tony Gwynn, who had two hits, opened the inning with a single and John Kruk walked. Kevin McReynolds and Steve Garvey then followed with RBI singles before Gary Green’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed by Ryan to score McReynolds.

“We put some runs on the board and had an opportunity to win, but they did what they’ve done all season long, come back,” Gwynn said. “We played good baseball. They just got the men on base and got them in.”

Charlie Kerfeld (11-2) pitched the final three innings to set a record for Houston rookies. Tom Griffin won 10 games in 1969. Dave Smith got his 31st save by retiring the last two batters.

Jose Cruz’s RBI single drove in Bass, who had doubled, in the Houston fourth.

Second baseman Doran threw wide to first base for an error in the fifth, allowing Tim Flannery to score from second base. Flannery walked and went to second on a walk to Kruk.

Houston got a run in the sixth when Bass doubled to left field and scored on Alan Ashby’s double to right.