Dravecky Maintains His Drive in 4-1 Win

Padre Manager Larry Bowa doesn’t want to see Dave Dravecky playing for the Giants, Reds, Astros or Mets. Or for any team but the Padres.

And neither does Dravecky, whose name has been mentioned in recent trade rumors.

After Dravecky allowed just four hits and one run in 6 innings of the Padres’ 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros and ace Mike Scott Thursday afternoon, Bowa spoke on behalf of his winning pitcher.

“He’s been outstanding,” Bowa said. “He’s been our best starting pitcher his last five or six starts. I don’t want to see Dave Dravecky get traded. Not only is he a good pitcher, but he’s a quality person. He’s maintained a positive attitude . . .

“I think he’s one of the top pitchers in the National League--left-handers especially. I don’t care what his record is.”

Dravecky is 3-6, but he’s 2-1 with a 1.32 earned-run average in his last four starts. He lost a 1-0 decision to Houston on June 9.

“Over the last four or five outings, I’ve felt as good mechanically, rhythm-wise, as I’ve felt all year,” Dravecky said.

Recently, Dravecky, who undergoes an individualized exercise program with trainer Dick Dent, appears to be recovered from the tendinitis in his left elbow that sidelined him after Aug. 26 last season.

That recovery has made Dravecky, who has shown he can both start and relieve effectively, a valuable commodity.

“There will be times during the season that your name will (be mentioned in trade rumors),” Dravecky said. “It’s a part of baseball. You have to realize that you have to concentrate on what goes on between the lines. I want to stay in San Diego. I like it here.”

On Thursday afternoon, in front of 15,959 fans at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Dravecky defeated Scott, the 1986 National League Cy Young Award winner. Scott, who is 9-4 and leads the National League in earned-run average and strikeouts, had won his last four starts.

Dravecky said pitching against Scott gets his adrenaline going even more than usual.

“It gets you to really bear down,” said Dravecky, who walked one and struck out five. “You have to throw as many goose-eggs as he is. You know you’ll be in a tough ball game.”

He was right.

“I consider him (Scott) one of the top three pitchers in the game,” Bowa said. “You have to give credit to those guys in there (the Padre clubhouse).”

And give some credit to the sun, which played a pivotal role in the Padres’ ninth victory in their last 12 games.

The score was tied at 1-1 with two outs in the sixth. Tim Flannery was on second and Tony Gwynn on first when Carmelo Martinez hit a popup behind second base.

“I saw it go up,” Astro second baseman Bill Doran said. “It got in the sun. I was hoping it would come out. It never did.

“I was yelling, but there was nothing Billy (Hatcher) or Kevin (Bass) could do,” Doran said. “I was the only one who could catch that ball.”

The ball fell in among Doran, Hatcher and Bass in short right field, scoring both Flannery and Gwynn.

“When he hit it, you figure it’s an out,” Scott said. “But nobody in the world can catch the ball if they don’t see it. The best defensive second baseman in the league can’t catch the ball if he doesn’t see it.”

Scott was shaking his head over the Padres’ very strange four-run sixth. The Padres were trailing, 1-0, on Astro rookie Chuck Jackson’s fourth-inning, opposite-field home run. It was Jackson’s first major league homer.

The Padres had managed only two singles and had struck out eight times against Scott when Stan Jefferson walked and stole second with two out in the sixth.

Flannery came to the plate.

“He has such a small strike zone that I have a hard time throwing to him,” Scott said. “I got the ball up and he drilled it.”

Flannery’s single to center scored Jefferson. Gwynn followed with an infield hit on a tapper that bounced straight up in the air near home plate.

“It was a fastball that took off and I checked my swing,” said Gwynn, who was 2 for 3 with an intentional walk. “When I’m hitting off him, I’m scratching. You have to have some breaks like that. He’s that good.”

On his popup single, Martinez went to second on Bass’ throw home. John Kruk was walked intentionally, and Kevin Mitchell followed with a single to left to give the Padres a 4-1 lead.

But two of the Padres’ three losses on their 6-3 homestand have come in games in which they have blown five-run leads.

Dravecky, who said the slider was his most effective pitch Thursday, gave up a one-out single to Bass and walked Jim Pankovits in the seventh. It was Dravecky’s first and only walk of the day. It was also the last batter he faced.

Bowa said Dravecky had thrown about 105 pitches and he doesn’t want him to throw much more than 100 in a game.

“That will probably benefit me in the long run,” Dravecky said. “No one wants to come out of a game, but you realize that you don’t want to allow the other ballclub any momentum.”

Lance McCullers--on in relief of Dravecky--got pinch-hitter Craig Reynolds on a soft foul liner to first and struck out pinch-hitter Alan Ashby on a called third strike.

McCullers pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to pick up his team-high ninth save and give Dravecky his third win.

“You want to be successful, but coming into the season, the key was my health,” Dravecky said. “Now, I feel as good as I’ve felt.”

Padre Notes

Donald Fehr, head of the Major League Baseball Players Assn., said Thursday that the union has not yet pressed for a formal ruling for pitcher LaMarr Hoyt to return to the Padres, but that “this can’t go on too much longer.” Fehr, who is dissatisfied with the way the Padres re-released Hoyt June 17, said there are “some things I’m waiting on.” He would not discuss them. But he did say, “We’re waiting to see if he is signed by a team.” Since being put on waivers for the purpose of being given his unconditional release, Hoyt can be signed by any major league team. . . . Padre pitcher Eric Show has been fined an undisclosed amount by Manager Larry Bowa. When asked if he was fined for his outburst on the mound Sunday when Bowa removed him from the game in the first inning, Show said: “Ask him (Bowa) what I was fined for. That will give you part of the clue.” Said Bowa: “It had nothing to do with what happened on the field (Sunday). It was a coincidence.” . . . Pitcher Ray Hayward was optioned to Las Vegas and outfielder Marvell Wynne was activated from the 15-day disabled list Thursday. Hayward had a 16.50 earned-run average in four appearances since being recalled June 8. . . . The Padres did not win a series in their first 18 this season, but have won four, lost one and split another in their last six. . . . John Kruk’s sore knee was hurting again after Thursday’s game.