Tudor Is Too Much for Padres : Cardinal Pitches and Hits His Way to a 6-4 Victory

John Tudor is known for his pitching, not his hitting. But maybe that will change after word gets around that Tudor is no slouch with runners in scoring position.

Tudor looked like an experienced pinch-hitter Sunday. He had two RBI singles off Padre starter Eric Show in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 6-4 victory in front of a crowd of 46,280 at Busch Stadium.

Tudor singled sharply to center off Show in the second inning, driving in Willie McGee. He was at it again in the fourth, driving in Lance Johnson with a hit past second baseman Randy Ready into right field.

“I am always looking to just put the ball in play,” said Tudor (6-2). “Eric threw me two pretty good pitches, but they were right in the strike zone. I’m not going to get two hits every game.”

Tudor pitched no-hit ball for 4 innings before Garry Templeton singled to right-center. Tudor left after the seventh inning, when Chris Brown hit a two-run home run into the left-field bleachers. Tudor allowed only three hits.

“I did not feel that good warming up in the bullpen before the game,” Tudor said. “I wouldn’t have taken bets on my performance. I felt much better in the game. The soreness (in his shoulder) went away.”

Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, whom Tudor retired three times, said the St. Louis pitcher gave his usual performance.

“I never hit Tudor good anyway,” said Gwynn. “I never have any luck with him. He is always keeping you off balance with his breaking ball and fastball. He really fooled me today.

“He beats us with his arm and bat today. What it comes down to is us getting Tudor out twice, and we didn’t. He gets two hits and puts them up 2-0 and we are in a hole. And then he pitches great for seven innings.

“He is one of the best, if not the best left-hander in the National League,” added Gwynn.

St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog spent the day in his office lying down with an inner-ear infection that developed sometime Saturday night. The infection left him dizzy and he was under medication. Coach Red Schoendienst ran the club Sunday.

“I thought John was tired, but he said later he thought he had a little left,” said Herzog. “He had good control today. He told me he had more, but I told him to save it for next week.”

The Cardinals put the game out of reach in the fifth.

With Ozzie Smith on second after two straight Padre mistakes--a wild throw by Brown trying to get Smith at first and a wild pitch by Show--Jack Clark hit his 35th home run, into the left-field bleachers.

“I’ve been taking some extra batting practice the last couple of days,” Clark said. “I felt better today. I did something positive to take into the game, and I was able to get some results. Hopefully, it’s a good sign for me.”

Brown’s home run broke Tudor’s string of consecutive scoreless innings at 19--the longest by any St. Louis pitcher this season. Ken Dayley relieved and gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Ready.

“The only bad move Red made was bringing in Dayley,” Herzog said in jest.

Schoendienst made the right move, bringing in Todd Worrell to shut down the rally in the eighth to earn his 28th save.

Padre Notes The Padres planned to call up outfielders Shawn Abner and Randell Byers along with infielder Joey Cora and catcher Mark Parent from Las Vegas today.