Gossage Gets First Save of the Season as Padres Hold Off Montreal, 5-3

Saves by Goose Gossage are momentous occasions nowadays, even more momentous than Padre victories.

Friday night, Gossage huffed and puffed and blew the Montreal Expos away in the eighth and ninth innings, preserving a 5-3 Padre victory, to earn his first save since 1986.

But the save came complete with some heavy breathing from Manager Larry Bowa, who nervously watched the Expos load the bases in that final inning with one out. Gossage had given up an infield single to Mike Fitzgerald, a broken bat single to Vance Law and a walk to Herm Winningham, but from there he turned almost exclusively to his slider, which might be better than his legendary fastball right now.

Gossage, who did not pitch until May 5 because of a rib injury, struck out pinch-hitter John Stefero on a sharp breaking pitch.

More sliders came, and Expo shortstop Casey Candaele lifted a 1-0 pitch to center field. Marvell Wynne, whose two-run double broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning, made the catch.

“It feels good to do something, to finally contribute,” said Gossage, whose last save came on Aug. 20 against the Expos last season.

About the last-ditch Expo rally, Gossage said, “I wasn’t thinking, ‘Here we go again.’ I wasn’t thinking that at all.”

However, Tony Gwynn, the Padre right fielder, has seen too many catastrophes this year and had sweaty palms.

“I said, ‘Oh no, not again,’ ” Gwynn admitted. “But Goose beared down. Whenever we play like this, we’ll be competitive. We won’t be blown out. It’s a good feeling. It’s been so long since I felt this way.”

The Padres had trailed, 3-2, entering the sixth inning, but Carmelo Martinez--on a 13-game hitting streak--tied it with a homer to left.

Wynne’s game-winning RBIs came an inning later, after Benito Santiago had singled to center and reached third on Expo reliever Curt Brown’s throwing error. Shortstop Garry Templeton had bunted in front of the plate, trying to push Santiago to second, but Brown threw the ball into center field, and Templeton ran to second base while Santiago sprinted to third.

Wynne then got his hit to left-center.

“I just wanted to make contact,” Wynne said. “I wasn’t expecting what I did.”

But everyone expected a big reception for Expo left fielder Tim Raines Friday night. Raines may not be a Padre, but the Padre fans sure like him. Last winter, the local battle cry was to sign him. Raines wasn’t signed, but he still received a thunderous ovation when introduced Friday night.

In the fourth inning, Raines began a two-run rally with a line-drive single to right. Tim Wallach, Andres Gallarraga and Law each followed with singles themselves, and the score was tied, 2-2.

The Padres had led, 2-0, on left fielder John Kruk’s RBI double to left-center and Templeton’s RBI triple to center, both in the second inning.

And both times, the Expo outfielders made bad plays. On Kruk’s line drive, left fielder Raines and center fielder Winningham nearly ran into each other trying to keep the ball from rolling to the fence. The ball rolled to the fence anyway.

Templeton’s hit was a bloop to center field. Winningham came running in and dived for it, but the ball skipped past him. Templeton easily reached third on his sore left knee.

The Expos pushed ahead in the fifth inning when Candaele doubled down the right-field line. Mitch Webster immediately followed with an RBI single to center.

It was 3-2, but the Expos would score no more.

Padre starter Andy Hawkins earned the victory, his second straight after five consecutive losses, but Hawkins was most happy to see Gossage do so well.

“It was great for me to see that,” Hawkins said. “The man (Gossage) can still pitch in anybody’s league and can be a top flight closer on anybody’s team. You’ve got to remember it’s like he’s coming out of spring training. He was hurt.”

Padre Notes After Tim Raines finished his fourth television interview Friday night, Tony Gwynn--the Padre right fielder--finally got a chance to say hello. Gwynn had campaigned all winter for the Padres to sign Raines as a free agent. It never worked out, even though Raines was willing to take a $300,000 pay cut and sign for $1.2 million a year, plus incentives.

Raines eventually re-signed with the Expos (a three-year contract worth approximately $4.8 million). Raines, who never thought he’d return to the Expos, said he and owner Charles Bronfman ironed out some differences in spring training, so he was happy to return. He says his three-year guaranteed contract has his family set for life. Raines said his offer to sign with the Padres for $1.2 million “was a proposal we felt was more than fair. It would have been a steal.”

Raines was mobbed by reporters Friday, and one question kept coming up: “How do you feel about Ballard Smith (Padre president)?” “Well, I have no bitter feelings,” Raines said. “This is a business for the owners. As far as Ballard is concerned, I don’t dislike him.”

Infielder Tim Flannery--on the disabled list with torn ligaments in his right ankle--is still limping but says he might be able to play by the end of next week.