Dawson, Trout Lead Cubs’ Win : Outfielder Hits Two Homers to Back Four-Hit Pitching

Andre Dawson went to the movies and came out with his home run swing back.

Dawson hit a pair of home runs and a double and drove in four runs Monday in support of Steve Trout’s four-hit pitching as the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres, 7-0, at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

“I watched some films of when I was going good and I noticed I was opening my hips too much,” Dawson said. “So I closed up a little bit and it helped.”

Dawson went nearly a month without a home run before breaking the spell Sunday in a losing effort against San Francisco.

Batting cleanup for the first time this season Monday, he led off the second inning with a homer, doubled and scored in the fourth and capped a four-run fifth with a three-run homer, his 23rd. Dawson has three homers and eight runs batted in in the last two games.

Dawson raised his season RBI total to 73, second in the league to Jack Clark of St. Louis, who also leads in homers with 24.

Both of Dawson’s homers cleared the left-field screen and landed on Waveland Avenue. It marked the fourth time this season, and the 21st time in his career, that Dawson had hit two homers in one game.

Dawson, usually the No. 3 batter, said he batted cleanup at Montreal last year when Hubie Brooks went on the disabled list.

“It doesn’t make much difference except I like to come up in the first inning and sometimes it doesn’t work that way when you’re batting fourth,” he said. “It means you may be leading off a couple of innings and it may mean one less at-bat per game.”

Cubs Manager Gene Michael also made light of moving Dawson down a spot in the lineup.

“Where you hit isn’t as important as hitting itself,” Michael said. “I wanted to shake some things up. Andre is going to hit anywhere you put him. I made the switch because of other guys. Leon Durham got a hit and drove in a run batting third.”

Keith Moreland had three hits and drove in two runs with a single and his 14th homer, but all the offense wasn’t needed as Trout (5-3) pitched his first shutout since holding Pittsburgh scoreless, 5-0, on June 28, 1985. It was Trout’s eighth career shutout.

Trout allowed only four singles and the Padres never threatened. Tony Gwynn singled in the fourth, Garry Templeton singled in the fifth and eighth innings and Shane Mack singled in the eighth. Trout walked three and struck out five in his second complete game of the season.

“When you’ve got a guy like Andre, who is one of the greatest players ever, it really helps,” said Trout, who recorded 14 ground-ball outs. “I was able to keep the ball down. I wasn’t happy with the walks that I allowed but after the last two starts I was happy with the outcome.”

Mark Grant (1-3) making his first start for the Padres since being traded from San Francisco in a seven-player deal Saturday night, surrendered both Dawson homers and six runs.

“I made three mistakes and he (Dawson) took advantage of them,” Grant said. “I might have been a little nervous because of the new surroundings and atmosphere. But I think these guys know I can pitch.”

Padres Manager Larry Bowa said he wasn’t totally displeased with Grant.

“He made a couple of mistakes but he also made some quality pitches,” Bowa said. “Andre was awesome. I played enough games behind Trout to know that when he gets the ground balls early he’s going to be plenty tough.”

Leading, 1-0, the Cubs broke the game open in the fifth. Mike Brumley walked to open the inning and was forced at second on Trout’s sacrifice attempt. Dave Martinez singled and, one out later, Durham singled to score Trout and Dawson followed with his second homer.

Moreland’s bases-empty homer came in the sixth and his RBI single in the fourth after Dawson led off with a double.