Padres Blanked by Giants : Gwynn Injured; Show’s Effort Wasted Again

There was another injury and another Padre loss on another breezy night here. Tony Gwynn, the league’s leading hitter, left Thursday’s game early with a knee injury.

One thing the Padres don’t have many of is hitters. So without Gwynn, the Padres lost, 1-0, to the Giants, who are now in first place.

That’s two 1-0 losses in the last three days for the Padres, and their second 1-0 loss of the year to Giant pitcher Kelly Downs.

They continued their Strands Across America tour, too. On Thursday, they stranded 11 runners here. That’s 66 runners they have stranded in their last seven losses, an average of 9.4 per game.

In the ninth inning, Downs walked Padre shortstop Garry Templeton, and after pinch-hitter Carmelo Martinez popped out, second baseman Tim Flannery singled to left on a hit-and-run play. Templeton ended up on third.

But the game ended when left fielder Randy Ready grounded into his first double play of the season.

“There ain’t no one on this team that can hit with men on base,” said Manager Larry Bowa.

“The stats don’t lie. When the guy leading the team in RBIs has only 27 (John Kruk), that’s pathetic. Big league hitters? Ha. They’ll say they’re trying, but you can try for 162 games and still be 80 games out. Do it. Stop talking about it. My 3-year old tries, but, just do it. It’s bull, is what it is.”

Padre pitchers Eric Show and Lance McCullers combined on a three-hitter, but Show (2-8) still took the loss.

In his last four starts, Show has given up just seven earned runs, but is 1-3. He has given up only 15 hits in his last 31 innings, and still has little to show for it.

Twice on Thursday, the Padres left the bases loaded. In the third inning, for example, Flannery and Ready hit consecutive singles with one out, and Gwynn then reached first on Giant shortstop Ivan DeJesus’ fielding error. Gwynn, by the way, hoppped around on one leg after running to first, for he’d aggravated his left knee.

Gwynn, who is also bothered by a left hamstring injury, then took himself out of the game, which is a pretty rare sight. On Tuesday, for instance, Gwynn had said he’d rest his hamstring in Houston. But, at the last minute, he played on it. But trainer Dick Dent said playing on the artificial turf in Montreal and Houston wasn’t helping Gwynn’s hamstring at all.

Rookie James Steels pinch-ran for Gwynn, and the bases were loaded for first baseman John Kruk. Kruk hasn’t had a hit since Monday, but he’s batting .398 (43 for 108) since May 1, so it was a good bet that he’d make contact.

Downs struck him out. He struck out third baseman Kevin Mitchell, too.

In the fourth inning, the Padres loaded the bases with two outs. But leftfielder Randy Ready grounded out to short, although DeJesus nearly booted it. DeJesus bobbled the ball, but managed to get the force play at second.

The Giants were much more fortunate. Their only run was the result of the Candlestick wind, and nothing more. In the third with one out, Giant third baseman Matt Williams lifted a ball to medium left-center field. It should have been center fielder Shane Mack’s ball, but Mack didn’t move for it. He stayed still, confused by the swirling wind. Left fielder Ready saw Mack freeze and figured he’d better try for it. So Ready dove, but didn’t get close.

Williams had a double.

Next, Downs put down a perfect bunt toward third baseman Mitchell. He beat it out for a single, and Williams ran to third. Leadoff man Eddie Milner walked to load the bases, and the Giants took advantage--though ever so slightly.

Second baseman Chris Speier grounded in between first baseman Kruk and second baseman Flannery. It looked to be a sure base hit, but Flannery dove to his left and snared it. He threw Speier out at first, but Williams scored from third.

From there, Show was sharp. After Downs’ bunt single, he retired 12 of the next 13 Giants. On the night, the Giants hit only two balls to the outfield--one was Mack’s blunder--so Show had no business losing this game. And he was pitching with a sore lower back Thursday night.

Still, Bowa had little choice but to pinch-hit for Show in the seventh, with the Padres trailing 1-0. On the positive side, catcher Benito Santiago appears to be out of his mental slump. He threw out both Milner and Candy Maldonado Thursday night, and that’s nine straight times he’s caught Giant baserunners stealing this year.

Santiago also had three hits Thursday.

But he never came up with a runner on base.

Padre Notes Padre outfielder Marvell Wynne will consult doctors to determine what caused the muscle spasms in his lower back Tuesday night. His status is day-to-day, but if his back doesn’t feel better, he likely will go on the disabled list Sunday. Outfielder Stan Jefferson--who has been on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder--would take Wynne’s place on the roster, but, in the meantime, the Padres have only 23 players in uniform. . . . Giant left-hander Atlee Hammaker was supposed to start tonight’s game, but he needs a cortisone shot today for a sore lower back and will start Saturday instead. So Mike LaCoss, originally Saturday’s starter, becomes tonight’s starter. . . . Triple-A outfielder Shawn Abner had been on the disabled list with a rib injury, but he is now Las Vegas’ hottest hitter. He has 12 hits in his last 22 at-bats (.545) with three doubles, a triple and nine RBIs.