Padres Blow 9-Run Lead and Lose : Booker Walks in Winning Run in Braves’ 13-12 Victory

Pitcher Jimmy Jones started the fire, and neither Storm Davis, nor Craig Lefferts, nor Goose Gossage nor Greg Booker could put it out. Here in Atlanta--where fire is famous--the Padres were burned.

They took a nine-run lead into the sixth inning against the Braves on Sunday, but they took a one-run deficit into the ninth. Then a Padre rookie named James Steels--who was playing only because Tony Gwynn assumed the game was safe and took himself out early--singled in the tying run with two out in the ninth.

Then a desperate Manager Larry Bowa, down to his 10th and final pitcher, asked Greg Booker to preserve the tie and force a 10th inning. But Booker promptly loaded the bases. Up came Atlanta’s Ken Oberkfell, and Bowa walked out and asked Booker to throw strikes. Meanwhile, Oberkfell whispered over to teammate Gerald Perry: “We’re going home.”

Actually, Atlanta second baseman Glenn Hubbard walked home, because Booker nearly hit Oberkfell with a 3-2 fastball to force in the winning run. The final score was Braves 13, Padres 12.

“How many runs do you gotta score in the big leagues?” Bowa asked afterward. “You need two dozen runs to win a game?”

A weekend so fine ended up being a weekend so unkind. The Padres, last in the National League, won on Friday and Saturday and held an 11-2 lead Sunday after Gwynn (double), Randy Ready (double), Bruce Bochy (double) and Luis Salazar (three-run homer) helped spur an eight-run fourth inning. And every run the Padres scored Sunday came with two out, the sign of a clutch team.

So what happened?

Jones, the Padre starter, gave up a single to Perry, a single to Dale Murphy and a two-run double to Ken Griffey to start the sixth inning. In came Storm Davis, whose father was in the stands. The first batter he faced, shortstop Andres Thomas, grounded a ball at second baseman Tim Flannery, but Flannery booted it. Griffey scored, and Davis fell apart. He gave up an RBI single to Ozzie Virgil, and he hit Hubbard with a pitch.

Out he came.

Lefferts replaced Davis and quickly got out of the sixth inning. The lead was only 11-6, but Lefferts appeared to be in control. Gwynn--his left hamstring sore--took himself out.

But it was all a mirage. In the seventh, Lefferts gave up a leadoff single to Oberkfell and walked Perry. Murphy loaded the bases when third baseman Ready booted a grounder. Griffey stepped up and doubled to the right-field corner. Steels, out in right field, had trouble picking the ball up--the fourth of five Padre errors in the game. Three runs scored, and it was 11-9. Gossage ran out to the bullpen and started tossing.

But before Gossage could enter, Lefferts gave up another RBI single to Virgil, and Hubbard doubled to left-center, putting runners on second and third.

So that’s how Gossage entered. The Padre lead--once nine--was one. Pinch-hitter Rafael Ramirez promptly singled to right and tied the score. Two batters later, Oberkfell lifted a fly ball to deep center. Hubbard, now on third base, tagged and scored.

The Braves led, 12-11.

“Davis and Lefferts stunk,” Bowa said. “That’s all you can say. Eleven to two in the sixth in the big leagues? And you lose? That’s sorry.”

Of Lefferts, Bowa also said: “He’s paid a lot of money to get people out, and he hasn’t done (anything).”

In the ninth, facing the Braves’ best reliever, Gene Garber, Marvell Wynne slashed a two-out single, and rookie Shane Mack beat out a ground ball to short. Up stepped Steels--normally, it would have been Gwynn--who isn’t sure if he’ll still be on the team when outfielder Stan Jefferson comes off the disabled list next week.

Steels fell behind in the count, 1 and 2. But he fouled the next pitch back. And then Garber threw a breaking ball outside. Steels reached out and poked it safely to shallow left-center. Wynne could have scored the tying run standing up, but he slid across the plate for emphasis.

In the meantime, Bowa had been forced to pinch-hit for Gossage, and the only pitcher he had left was Booker. Lance McCullers, also in the bullpen, had thrown four innings on Saturday, so he couldn’t go.

“Maybe we need another pitcher,” Bowa said later. “The way our pitchers are throwing, we may need 11 pitchers. That’s something we can talk about.”

And asked where he might find an 11th pitcher, Bowa said: “Maybe (Triple-A) Las Vegas! There are a couple guys down there who can do what these guys did today. That isn’t very hard to follow. I’m in favor of getting anyone who can help us win. I don’t care if he’s 90 years old.”

Booker, usually a middle reliever, didn’t help. With McKeon, his father-in-law, watching from the press box, Booker retired one batter and then walked Hubbard on four pitches. Pinch-hitter Ted Simmons singled, and then Booker walked Albert Hall on four pitches. Oberkfell stepped up, and you know the rest.

Afterward, Bowa patted Booker on the shoulder and said: “That wasn’t planned, Book. Those middle relievers screwed up.”

Booker said: “But I don’t care if I haven’t been in a situation like that in five years. I’d still like to think I can do it. . . . My little screw-up tore down 11 runs. I feel bad for the team.”

Bowa, who has been angry before and will be again, rated this a new low. Then he put on a pair of sunglasses over his burning eyes and left.

Padre Notes

Reliever Craig Lefferts gave up two home runs last Wednesday in Montreal, and he gave up four runs in 1 innings on Sunday. “My slider hasn’t been breaking like I know it can, but I’ll come around,” he said Sunday. . . . Pitcher Storm Davis, who didn’t retire any of the three batters he faced Sunday, was asked if he’d like to be traded and said: “It’s crossed my mind a few times, yes. . . . I think, sometimes, that it might be easier in the other league (he used to pitch in Baltimore) because I know those guys.” Davis also said he prefers starting to relieving. . . . Shortstop Garry Templeton missed the Atlanta series with a sore shoulder, but he says he’s “real close” to playing again.