Gwynn Spoils No-Hitter in Ninth

This time last year, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning was three days away from the most humbling experience of his professional career--a ticket to the minor leagues with no promise of return.

“That was the lowest I’ve every been,” Browning said. “To be sent to triple A. It made me realize how far I had fallen, and how hard I had to work to get back what I had lost.”

Almost one year to the day later, Browning was standing on the mound in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium Monday night, two outs from a no-hitter.

The batter was Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, the 1987 National League batting champion, who already had walked twice and had no intention of walking again.

“If I was going to get the no-hitter, I wanted to get their best hitter out,” Browning said. “I didn’t want to walk Gwynn again.”

He started Gwynn with three balls, then a called strike, then three balls that Gwynn fouled off. He threw Gwynn another fastball, again outside, but this time Gwynn reached out and grounded the pitch sharply into the hole between third and short for a base hit.

The no-hitter was lost, but after a wild pitch, Browning was able to keep his composure enough to retire the last two Padres to complete the one-hitter and a 12-0 victory.

“Once I gave up the a hit, I didn’t want to lose the shutout--I wanted to bear down,” Browning said.

But his first pitch to the next batter, left fielder Keith Moreland, was wild, allowing Gwynn to advance to second. It was from there that Gwynn, a career .422 hitter entering the game against Browning, asked Browning if the pitch he hit was a strike.

Browning smiled and said, “I don’t think so.”

It was the only bit of reaction Browning appeared to show about the lost no-hitter. Even after the game he was almost matter-of-fact in discussing it.

“He’s one of my toughest outs,” Browing said. “If someone has to get a hit, I’m glad it was him. I didn’t pitch him real well all night.”

Reds Manager Pete Rose agreed, and said that none of the pitches Gwynn fouled off were strikes.

“Give Gwynn credit, he swung at a couple of balls,” Rose said. “If someone breaks a no-hitter, that is the kind of guy you want to do it.

“Give Browning credit. He completed the other half of the deal. He got the shutout.”

Gwynn said he knew he was going after bad pitches but he wanted to break up the no-hitter no matter what.

“I got lucky. I can’t sit here and say I tried to hit the hole between short and third,” Gwynn said. “I just stuck my bat out there and hit a 19-hopper that found a hole.

“You need a little luck to throw a no-hitter, and it takes a little luck to break it up.”

The one-hitter was the sixth in the majors this season and the second of Browning’s career. His previous one-hitter was a 2-0 victory against the Cubs on June 4, 1986.

For the Padres, the worst hitting team in the National League, it was the second time this season a pitcher had a no-hitter going against them in the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Randy Ready broke the other one with a leadoff single against Doug Drabek in Pittsburgh on May 8. It also was the second one-hitter in Jack Murphy Stadium this season. Andy Hawkins pitched one in a 3-0 victory against Houston on April 24.

The feat was witnessed by the smallest San Diego crowd of the season, 8,053. Most were still around to give Browning a half-hearted standing ovation when he came to bat in the ninth. Browning hit a two-run double as part of a five-run inning against reliever Greg Booker.

The elation and disappointment of the night were nothing, however, like what Browning said he went through last season when he spent a month in the minors.

Browning, a 28-year-old left-hander, was coming off a 1987 in which he spent part of the season with the Reds’ triple A team in Nashville, Tenn.

Browning started last season with the Reds, but was sent down after compiling a 4-6 record with a 7.76 earned-run average in the first two months. Two years earlier, he was 20-9 and finished second to Vince Coleman for rookie of the year.

After arriving in Nashville, he revealed he had a sore elbow. But he had been sent down to regain his confidence more than because of any physical ailment.

“It was a strange situation. I never thought I’d have to send a guy out (to the minor leagues) for mental rehabilitation, but I did with him,” Rose said. “He totally lost his confidence.

“I told him this is strange, but I have to send you down so you can gain your gain confidence. He did.

“He would never quit. It’s the last thing in the world he would do is quit.”

Browning aside, this was a game the Padres never seemed to give themselves a chance to win.

Starter Mark Grant (1-5) retired the first two batters on a foul pop to first and a strikeout, but his troubles began when left fielder Kal Daniels hit a single to right.

Center fielder Eric Davis then launched the first of three long home runs Grant would allow in his three innings. This one carried over the 405-foot marking in center field to give the Reds a 2-0 lead.

Right fielder Paul O’Neill then stroked a double that just eluded center fielder Shane Mack, but Grant got out of further trouble by getting first baseman Nick Esasky on his second strikeout of the inning.

The Reds made it 3-0 in the second when third baseman Chris Sabo singled to left, scoring catcher Bo Diaz, who led off the inning with a double. Sabo ended the threat, however, when he was caught between first and second as third baseman Chris Brown raced across the infield with the cutoff throw from Moreland. Brown just beat Sabo to first base, tagging him for the third out.

Daniel and Davis, however, combined in the next inning to make Grant’s start a short one. With one out, Daniels hit an off-speed pitch over the outer wall in deep left-center field. Two pitches later, Davis hit his second home run of the game and his eighth of the season to give the Reds a 5-0 lead.

Whereas the Padre pitchers have cut down considerably on their home runs allowed since last season, Grant has been a notable exception. Of the 44 homers allowed by Padre pitchers, Grant has allowed a team-high 11, already half of his total for all of last season. No other pitcher has allowed more than six.

Although Grant easily sent down O’Neill on a ground out and stuck out Esasky for the second time to end the inning, Manager Jack McKeon had Dickie Thon pinch-hit for him in the third and he was replaced by Candy Sierra to start the fourth.

It was another poor performance against the Reds by Grant, who entered the game 0-3 with an 8.25 ERA in six career appearances.

Quite a contrast to Browning’s recent dominance of the Padres. Brown, who was 3-0 against the Padres last season with a 2.25 ERA in four starts, held them without a hit for 8 innings, allowing only three walks and Thon to reach base when Sabo misplayed a ground ball.

The closest the Padres came to a hit in that stretch was when Davis made a sliding catch after initially misjudging Shane Mack’s sinking liner to center with two outs in the fifth, and when Mack grounded sharply down the third-base line. Sabo momentarily juggled the ball, but threw Mack in a close play.

“It was hit slow toward the line, it took a little bounce and started falling out of my glove,” Sabo said. “I had to re-grab it. I knew the guy could run, so I knew I had to make a good, strong throw.”

Padre Notes

Shane Mack led off for the first time Monday night, becoming the ninth Padre to bat leadoff this season. Mack, a right-handed hitter, has been platooning with left-handed Marvell Wynne in center field. Wynne has been batting first when he has played lately, but Mack batted eighth when he played Sunday, and shortstop Dickie Thon hit leadoff. Manager Jack McKeon said he let Mack lead off Monday in hopes of building some continuity in the lineup. “Because I’m switching Marvell and Shane, it would be nice to have them bat in the same spot,” McKeon said. “That way I’m not tearing up the lineup each time.” The Padres, in order, have tried Stan Jefferson, Randy Ready, Tony Gwynn, Tim Flannery, Wynne, Roberto Alomar, Thon, Garry Templeton, and now Mack at leadoff. . . . Gwynn, who has been playing with a protective leg brace since jamming his right knee Philadelphia last week, played without the brace for the first time in the home stand. Gwynn said the brace has not restricted his movement nor affected his play, but figured “it was time I found out if I could do without it.” Gwynn is also trying to do without chewing tobacco.

PADRES AT A GLANCEFIRST INNING

Reds--With two outs, Daniels singled to right. Davis homered to center, his seventh. O’Neill doubled to center. Esasky struck out. Two runs, three hits, one left.

SECOND INNING

Reds--Diaz doubled to left. Concepcion grounded to third. Browning grounded to third. Sabo singled to left, Diaz scoring as Sabo caught in rundown. One run, two hits.

THIRD INNING

Reds--With one out, Daniels homered to center, his seventh. Davis homered to left-center, his eighth. O’Neill grounded to first. Esasky struck out. Two runs, two hits.

SEVENTH INNING

Reds--Leiper pitching. Sabo singled to left. Treadway reached on Templeton’s error, Sabo taking second. Daniels walked. Davis grounded into double play to short, Sabo scoring, Treadway taking third. O’Neill singled to right, Treadway scoring. Esasky struck out. Two runs, two hits, one error, one left.

NINTH INNING

Reds--Booker pitching. Treadway singled to right. Daniels singled to right. Davis forced Daniels, Treadway taking third. O’Neill singled to right, Treadway scoring, Davis to third. Esasky singled to center, Davis scoring, O’Neill taking second. Diaz singled to center, O’Neill scoring, Esasky taking third. Concepcion struck out. Browning doubled to left, Esasky and Diaz scoring. Sabo grounded to second. Five runs, six hits, one left.