Hawkins Ends Padre Season on Good Note

When a team is rounding out a disappointing season, even a modest pitching accomplishment is reason for congratulations.

Andy Hawkins earned praise Sunday after he scattered three hits over eight innings to end the season with his first victory in six weeks and lead the Padres to a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

“I’m late because I had to shake the hand of my second 10-game-winning pitcher,” Padre Manager Steve Boros said in a postgame meeting with the media.

Hawkins (10-8) allowed just one hit over the first seven innings as he earned his first victory since Aug. 19 and snapped the Reds’ four-game winning streak. The right-hander struck out six and walked four before yielding to Craig Lefferts, who pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

The Padres had just one other 10-game winner this season, reliever Lance McCullers (10-10).

“Personally, it ended on a good note,” Hawkins said. “After all that time, it was nice to get a decision.”

San Diego’s Tony Gwynn started the game third in the National League in hitting at .330 and went 1 for 5 to finish at .329, behind the Dodgers’ Steve Sax (.323) and the Montreal Expos’ Tim Raines (.325).

The Padres collected four hits and two runs off Chris Welsh (6-9) in the first inning.

Gwynn led off with a double--his 211th hit of the season--and came around on Jerry Royster’s sacrifice and John Kruk’s ground out. Kevin McReynolds singled and scored on third baseman Buddy Bell’s throwing error after Benito Santiago hit an infield single.

Bell’s error was only his second in his last 72 games.

The Reds squeezed one run out of a bases-loaded opportunity in the second. Royster, the Padre second baseman, dropped Bell’s popup for an error, retrieved the ball and threw wildly to second for another error that sent Bell to third. Bell scored on Eddie Milner’s sacrifice fly.

Reds then loaded the bases with one out, but Hawkins struck out Welsh and got Eric Davis to fly out to end the inning.

Milner went 0 for 3, ending his hitting streak at 20 games, longest by a Red player this season.

Davis walked in the fifth and stole second and third with two out, but Hawkins struck out Dave Parker to end the inning. Davis ended the season with 80 stolen bases, one shy of the Reds’ club record set by Bob Bescher in 1911.

Gwynn established a Padre record when he scored his 107th run of the season in the first inning, moving ahead of the mark he shared with Alan Wiggins from 1984.

Hawkins had failed to get a decision in his last eight starts, with the Padres losing five of those games.

The Padres finished below .500 for the first time since 1981, with Sunday’s victory leaving them at 74-88. The Reds’ 86-76 record enabled them to finish second in the National League West.