Hawkins’ Bad Breaks Continue in 12-5 Loss

Whenever pitcher Andy Hawkins starts feeling sorry for himself--which is about every fifth day--he starts thinking about the good ol’ days in 1985, when he used to feel happy for himself.

Just two years ago, Hawkins got every break in the book and won his first 11 games for the Padres, setting a team record. But now, after Tuesday night’s 12-5 Padre loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium, Hawkins is 0-5 and not getting a single break . . . unless you count unfortunate broken-bat singles.

The score was tied, 4-4, with two outs and two men on in the sixth inning Tuesday night when Hawkins broke Andy Van Slyke’s bat with an inside pitch. The ball rolled slowly toward Padre shortstop Garry Templeton, who threw wildly over first baseman Carmelo Martinez’s head. The official scorer gave Van Slyke an infield single, but Templeton and Padre Manager Larry Bowa both admitted Templeton should have made the play.

Anyway, while the ball was rolling free near the first-base box seats, Pirate pitcher Rick Reuschel, who had begun the rally with a two-out double, was able to score the go-ahead run from second base.

And that was that. An unnerved Hawkins yielded two more runs, and the Padres didn’t recover.

“I did have every break in the world (in 1985),” Hawkins said afterward. “I was very consistent then. I made the pitches when I had to. This year, it’s ridiculous. I’ve never had this kind of stretch in my life. I’m doing everything I can do. I don’t know what’s going on.

“Every day, I’m busting my (rear end). The thing is, I’m still confident. I know I can win. I just need a break or two, like 1985.”

In Hawkins’ first 11 games in 1985, the Padre offense was averaging six runs per game, which explains a lot. Right now, the Padres average fewer than three runs a game, which also explains a lot.

But how do you explain Storm Davis? Davis, who recently was demoted to the bullpen, took the mound with the Padres still close (trailing 7-5) in the eighth inning Tuesday. But he faced 11 batters before he could finally get a third out.

He walked the first hitter he faced--pinch-hitter John Cangelosi--and the Pirates were off to the bases. Barry Bonds singled, Jim Morrison doubled in a run, R.J. Reynolds walked, Mike LaValliere singled in two runs, Rafael Belliard doubled in a run. And so on.

Time after time, Davis shook off catcher Benito Santiago. Instead, Davis threw the pitches he wanted to throw. And it wasn’t working.

Eventually, Bowa hit the roof. After the game, he asked Davis and Santiago to step into his office, and he told Davis to try listening to Santiago for once.

“Davis shook him off all night,” Bowa told reporters later. “And he kept getting pounded. Benny might know more than people give him credit for. Listen, I keep saying this. Baseball is a game of adjustments, and he (Davis) is not making any. Absolutely zero. It’s like a little baby who keeps touching a stove and keeps burning himself. Pretty soon, the baby won’t touch it anymore.”

Instead, Davis keeps starting fires (or rallies, in this case), and Bowa is wondering what he should do.

“If I can’t use him in a game like that (when the Padres trail by two),” Bowa said, “I guess I’ve got to wait until we’re either way ahead or way behind. I thought this was a situation he (Davis) could use to work his way out of his slump.”

This is one of a series of Bowa’s bursts of anger. Last time, Hawkins took the abuse for giving up too many runs to St. Louis. Bowa and Hawkins eventually talked it out. Actually, they screamed it out. Hawkins said Tuesday he and Bowa shouted at each other, but they finally came to a mutual understanding.

They both like winning.

According to Bowa, Hawkins was a little better Tuesday.

“I think he (Hawkins) is still struggling,” Bowa said. “I don’t think he’s pitched to his capabilities yet. But again, he made the pitch he had to make, and we didn’t make the play.”

Bowa was talking about Templeton’s error.

But Hawkins wasn’t making excuses. He says he’s doing more weightlifting and running right now than he ever has before.

“No way in hell am I this bad,” Hawkins said.

His worst pitch Tuesday night came to Bonds with two on in the second inning. The Padres led 2-1 at the time, but Hawkins says he threw a 1-and-2 fastball “down the chute.” Bonds hit it over the center-field fence for the three-run homer.

Basically, that was Hawkins’ only mistake. Then . . . Templeton’s error.

“Some of our guys got a hex over their heads,” Templeton said with a giggle, just as Hawkins and Davis walked by.