Padres Run Past Astros and Scott, 11-0

It’s supposed to happen to the ball, not the pitcher, but try explaining that to Mike Scott.

Scuffed, nicked, cut, chipped Mike Scott.

Last season’s Cy Young Award winner was cycloned by the Padres Friday night. He did not make it past the second inning, allowing seven runs as his Houston Astros lost, 11-0.

In his last start, Scott--ranked in the league’s top five in wins, earned-run average, strikeouts, shutouts and complete games--had retired the last 26 San Francisco Giants he faced. With the Giants losing, 4-3, to Cincinnati earlier Friday, the Astros had a chance to pull within four games of the National League West leaders.

But in front of a crowd of 41,109 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium on the night of a sky show promotion, none of that mattered.

“This was almost as perfect a game as we could play,” said Padre Manager Larry Bowa, whose team stole a club-record four bases in the first inning and never backed off. “I think the fans of San Diego might have gotten a preview of what to expect. The crowd had them pumped, facing Scott had them pumped. . . . I just turned them loose.”

And here’s what happened: The hitting star was the center fielder, Stanley Jefferson. In his first three at-bats, he had four RBIs. Jefferson has had four RBIs in the previous month . In those at-bats, he had three hits. He has only had that many hits in four of 96 games this year.

He entered with a 20-for-94 (.213) slump that had caused him to be benched and temporarily cost him the inside track on a starting outfield job for next season.

“You give a couple of guys some rest, they come back with a vengeance,” said Bowa with a smile.

The running star was oft-injured and criticized Chris Brown, who in the fourth hustled from first to third on Garry Templeton’s single and scored on Tim Flannery’s routine sacrifice fly to center to make it 10-0.

OK, so maybe the game was already finished, but Brown got Templeton so excited, he went to second on Flannery’s routine fly, surprising the Astros.

“We have some guys who can be very exciting,” said Bowa. “I’m not saying it can happen every night, but this is the kind of baseball we are capable of playing. We took chances. We made things happen.”

Tony Gwynn was taken out of the game in the fifth inning. Gwynn has not missed an inning in three months . He has started and played in every game since June 16. That’s 77.

The last time he was pulled from a game, the Padres were leading the Atlanta Braves, 11-2, on June 7. Guess what? They lost the game, 13-12, and Gwynn had vowed never to walk out on a romp again.

“I went up to Tony and said, ‘What do you think?’ ” recounted Bowa. “He looked at me and laughed and said, ‘What about Atlanta?’ ”

Gwynn sat, but he never really left the game.

“I was glad to come out, I’m tired, I’m beat,” said Gwynn. “But I watched the game from the clubhouse TV.”

Pitcher Eric Show got a break, and finally took advantage of it, allowing only four hits in his first complete game and shutout since July 1 when he stopped the Dodgers.

Before anybody falls over themselves trying to trade him, understand that in five of Show’s last six starts, he has a 2.27 earned-run average.

“This victory is very gratifying to me because Houston has been so tough on me,” said Show, who was 6-9 against Houston entering Friday. “By far, of all the teams in either division, they’ve hit me the best.

“I didn’t feel in command until about the fifth inning . . . then we got the big lead and I said to myself, ‘You better not blow this one.’ ”

Said Bowa, “We finally did everything right when he was pitching. If you look, he’s really pitched well lately.”

The Padres finally entered somebody’s winter nightmares besides their own. This victory gave them nine in their last 11 pennant-race games against the Astros. Overall they have won 10 of 14 games with Houston, a better percentage than against anyone else in the league.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Houston Manager Hal Lanier. “I don’t think you guys want to hear it, and I don’t want to say it.”

And poor Mike Scott, who entered at 15-10 with a 2.98 ERA. The Padres never even had a chance to check him, like everyone else in the league, for scuffed pitches.

He was gone from the ballpark nearly as quickly as he was gone from the game, but Bowa had this guess:

“He was up in the strike zone,” said Bowa. “You have to get to him early anyway, but when he doesn’t have the good rhythm . . . “

The Padres only scored one run on two hits in the first inning, but it was undoubtedly the inning that did it.

Gwynn started the game by singling to right. Two pitches later, Gwynn stole second. Jefferson then singled to center, scoring Gwynn.

On the very next pitch, Jefferson stole second. A groundout later, John Kruk walked. A flyout later, Jefferson stole third and Kruk stole second. Neither of them scored, but the mark was made.

Eleven Padres batters came to the plate in the second, six of them scoring, leaving Scott with a debit of six hits and seven runs in just two innings, with more walks (five) than strikeouts (two).

Padre Notes

Steve Garvey made an appearance Friday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, but the injured first baseman with the expired contract could offer no news on whether he will return next season. He said he talked with Padre President Chub Feeney last week, and they have decided to meet during this season’s final home stand (Sept. 28-Oct. 4). Feeney has already said that Garvey will not be offered a “big-money” contract, and will be invited to spring training on a “look-see” basis. Garvey, however, says he is progressing well in his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, and Feeney has agreed to one more discussion before making a final “I should be able to start swinging in about a month,” Garvey said. “It’s coming along nicely.”

Overshadowed by Glenn Davis’ three homers Thursday was the debut of Padre Rob Nelson, who ruined Davis’ feat with a ninth-inning single that beat the Astros, 8-7. Nelson, who won the game in his first plate appearance as a Padre, was acquired Sept. 8 from Oakland to complete the deal that sent pitcher Storm Davis to the A’s. Nelson, a 6-foot 4-inch, 215-pound first baseman, comes here after losing a battle that will one day be famous. On Opening Day, after four seasons in the minor leagues, he was the Athletics’ starting first baseman. But after just nine starts, he lost the job to close friend Mark McGwire. The rest is, well . . . “We were two rookies battling for a job, there was pressure on both of us, and I told everybody that as soon as one of us was given the job, he would take off,” said Nelson, who was outhitting McGwire, .160-.130, when Nelson was benched and then sent to Triple-A Tacoma. “Sure enough, playing every day, relaxed, Mark took off.” Meanwhile, Nelson went to Tacoma and stewed. “I didn’t think I got a fair chance, and it took me a long time to get over it,” said Nelson, who fell into such a funk, he struck out 42 times in a 34-game span in the middle of the summer. He finally rebounded late in the Pacific Coast League season, finishing with 20 homers and 74 RBIs despite a .215 average and 133 strikeouts in 413 at-bats. “I finally realized I just had to bear down and do my best,” he said. “I’m really glad to be getting a new start, and a new chance.” With the obvious obstacle of John Kruk in his way at first base, Nelson will take fly balls in left field and take his chances. “Whatever it takes,” he said.