Padres Beaten, 5-2; Cubs Continue With Home-Run Barrage

In retrospect, Padre pitcher Eric Show made three costly mistakes Saturday night.

The first two mistakes were off-speed pitches that the Chicago Cubs hit for home runs. Show’s third mistake was failing to tell Manager Larry Bowa he was out of gas in the ninth inning.

That cost Show two more home runs.

The Cubs, with their four home runs, beat the Padres, 5-2, in front of 19,088 fans at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Going into the ninth, Chicago led, 3-2.

Show retired leadoff batter Andre Dawson on a line drive to left.

Then came Leon Durham, who hit a Show fastball for his second homer of the night. Then came Jody Davis, who hit Show’s next pitch--also a fastball--into the left-field bleachers.

That made it a night for Show, who has allowed 12 home runs in 48 innings.

“I guess in the ninth, I really didn’t have very much,” Show said. “Even the out was a bullet hit by Dawson. I guess if I would have been smarter, I would have told Larry (Bowa) I had nothing. I didn’t say anything, and I paid.”

Show (1-3) also paid on two pitches earlier in the game.

Durham hit a curve for a solo home run in the fourth. Dawson hit a changeup for a two-run homer in the sixth.

“The first two home runs, I made mistakes to two very strong hitters,” Show said. “I deserved it. Basically, I didn’t keep the ball in the yard and I lost. That’s the whole story tonight.”

That has been the story on many nights for the Padres, who have been outhomered by the opposition, 48-18.

The Cubs are not exactly a welcome sight to a homer-plagued pitching staff. Chicago has out-homered its opposition, 43-18, and leads the league in homers. In the last 12 games, the Cubs have out-homered their opponents, 22-9.

“That’s what happens when you have guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Bowa said. “It’s a lot easier.”

The Cubs have two players with 10 homers, Dawson and Durham. They are the only National League team with two players in double figures in homers.

In three of five games against the Padres, Chicago has hit four home runs.

“I didn’t even know that,” Chicago Manager Gene Michael said. “I don’t count home runs, anyway. We don’t enjoy doing it against (the Padres) more than we do off anyone else.”

The Cubs certainly enjoy playing the Padres, having beaten them five straight times.

Chicago has an 11-3 road record, its best road start in history. The team’s previous best road start was 10-4 in 1946.

The Padres are off to the worst start in their 19-year history, having lost 25 of 32 games. They have lost five straight and 10 of their last 11.

Greg Maddux, 21, the youngest player in the league, beat the Padres Saturday. Maddux (2-2) pitched 7 innings, allowing two runs on six hits.

Lee Smith earned his league-leading ninth save by pitching one-hit ball over the final 1 innings.

The Padres had taken a two-run lead in the third by playing aggressive baseball.

With one out, Stan Jefferson singled to right and stole second. After Randy Ready popped to second, Tony Gwynn was walked intentionally.

Then, with a 3-and-1 count on Carmelo Martinez, Jefferson and Gwynn executed a double steal. Martinez walked on the next pitch, loading the bases.

John Kruk followed with a single to center, scoring Jefferson and Gwynn.

With runners on first and third, Bruce Bochy was next. He lined out to center, ending the inning.

Meanwhile, Show had been the third Padre in a row to pitch hitless ball through three innings.

But with two outs in the fourth, Durham spoiled everything by hitting a 1-and-2 curve into the right-field bleachers.

The Padres attempted to increase their 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Dawson took care of that.

Ready was on second base with one out when Martinez lined a single to right. Dawson made a one hop throw to the plate and catcher Davis tagged out Ready.

In the next inning, Dawson’s heroics continued. He deposited a 2-and-1 changeup by Show over the left-field wall for a two-run homer, giving the Cubs a 3-2 lead.

San Diego threatened again in the eighth.

Martinez hit a leadoff single to center and Joey Cora pinch-ran. After Kruk struck out, Smith replaced Maddux.

Marvell Wynne, batting for Bochy, grounded to first, advancing Cora to second. However, Garry Templeton ended the inning by taking a called third strike.

In the ninth, the Cubs weren’t taking anything. Durham hit a 2-and-2 fastball over the right-field wall. Davis hit the next pitch over the left-field wall.

The Cubs have hit back-to-back homers four times this season.

Padre Notes When pitcher Storm Davis was sent to the bullpen after Friday’s game, it was nothing new. Davis, who broke into the majors for good with Baltimore in 1983, has been sent to the bullpen each year except 1986 for early-season ineffectiveness. “It’s the best way I can help the team out right now,” Davis said. “It is a little frustrating. You go down and get a chance to get your work in. Hopefully, things will straighten out.” Davis has a 1-5 record and 5.82 earned-run average. What has been the problem? “Bad breaks, and in some circumstances, bad pitching, to be honest with you,” Davis said. . . . Catcher Benito Santiago and second baseman Joey Cora both were rested Saturday. Each was called into Manager Larry Bowa’s office after Friday’s 6-3 loss to the Cubs. Bowa told both players to relax and not become discouraged.