Weak Padre Offense Helps Pin 10th Loss on Frustrated Show

After seven years and 72 losses’ worth of this stuff, pitcher Eric Show admits that after he leaves a game, it is sometimes hard even for him to watch the Padres.

“But I always do, because I always think something could happen,” Show said late Thursday afternoon.

Once again, something didn’t. Show allowed the Houston Astros three runs in seven innings but was left with his 10th defeat when the Padres repeatedly failed at the plate in a 3-2 loss in front of 17,988 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

With a 3.62 earned-run average, an average of seven innings per start and other good stats such as allowed hits (fewer than one per inning) and walks (two per nine innings), Show is perhaps the best 7-10 pitcher in baseball. But after Thursday’s second consecutive Padre loss, he was also one of the most bothered.

Once again, Show is talking trade.

“This team is just a few players away from being over the hump, and at this time, a trade for me could be beneficial for both people,” said Show, who has spent his entire career in a Padre uniform and under a shadow of bad luck, self-imposed and otherwise. “Not that this is a new feeling. I’ve felt this way for a while now.

“Look at Whit (Ed Whitson). He’s pitched with a lot of other clubs. He’s had a chance to try his talent with someone else and see whether or not things would be different. They might not be different for me somewhere else . . . but chances are they would be.”

Show shook his head. “I’m not Nolan Ryan. But I know I can pitch.”

Both things were evident Thursday. Show allowed two runs in the game’s first six pitches; three runs through the game’s first six batters. But then he settled down to retire 19 of his next 24 in holding the Astros down.

His comeback didn’t matter, because the Padres wasted nine hits (the Astros had only seven) by stranding a runner on second base six times.

“I think we need another refresher course in how to score,” Manager Jack McKeon said.

Show has sat in on those courses before. Sometimes he believes he has seen and heard enough. Bottom line, Show said, is that his statistics here are too good to look so bad.

Since June 18, Show has made eight starts, averaging 7 innings, and compiled a 3.26 ERA with just 9 walks in 58 innings. But during that time he has gone just 2-4 with two no-decisions.

The same lack of reward is afflicting the entire pitching staff; it has held opponents to three runs or fewer in 16 of the past 20 games but has gone just 10-10 during that time.

“I don’t feel my stats are indicative of my record, and I don’t like a losing record. Nobody does,” said Show, who has a career ERA of 3.42 but a career record of just 77-72. “I know there are teams out there that could use me, and I could do a good job for them.”

Show is well aware of the Aug. 31 deadline for a player to be eligible for the playoffs and World Series. It is a date that often sparks activity among pennant contenders as they attempt to acquire their missing pieces, usually pitchers.

But Show said he will stop short of actually placing his feet on McKeon’s desk and demanding a trade.

“Under the circumstances, anybody would do that (demand a trade), but I’m not interested in doing that; I have too much respect for McKeon. He’s been too fair to me,” Show said.

Considering that Show will be one of four Padre free agents at the end of the season--along with Andy Hawkins, Garry Templeton and Dickie Thon--Show wouldn’t have to demand a trade to leave town. But he said that when it comes to free agent negotiations, the Padres would get a fair shot.

“If this team wants me and will treat me fairly, I’ll be more than happy to stay here,” he said, covering his bases. “If this team is going to make some key deals to get us over the hump and then get rid of me, I don’t want that.”

Regardless, McKeon said that for now it’s a moot point.

“We have not talked with anybody in regard to anything with Eric,” McKeon said. “We would be happy to talk about anybody on the club except for Tony Gwynn, but nobody has talked to us about our pitching.”

McKeon was more concerned Thursday about Show’s first inning.

“I don’t know what happened to him,” he said. “You don’t like to see us behind, 3-0, that early.”

“I was struggling with my mechanics,” said Show, who allowed a second-pitch double to Billy Hatcher and, four pitches later, an 0-and-2 homer to Bill Doran.

He then allowed a single to Terry Puhl, a walk to Kevin Bass and, one out and a double steal later, an RBI grounder to Craig Reynolds.

“Because of our off-day (Monday), I had not thrown in three days, and I had trouble with my mechanics” Show said. “I finally found it in the fifth inning. I still had the worst stuff I’ve had since my third game, against the Dodgers, but I kept us in the game, I think.”

Padre Notes

The Padres’ offense failed again as the team lost a one-run game for the 12th time in its last 34 games. The Padres’ blown chances--including two men left on second base by Benito Santiago and three men stranded by Roberto Alomar--were highlighted when Tony Gwynn interrupted a third-inning rally with a surprise bunt with one run home and runners on first and third and none out. The bunt went straight to first baseman Craig Reynolds, who threw home to get Stanley Jefferson at the plate, and the Padres didn’t score again that inning. “Turned out to be the key play of the game,” said Gwynn, who was hitting .367 in his career against Astro starter Bob Knepper but said he tried the bunt “because I didn’t feel confident enough that I could hit anything but a grounder against Knepper, and I just wanted to get the run home.” . . . Chris Brown’s right wrist, plunked by Astro reliever Dave Smith in the ninth inning Wednesday, was X-rayed before Thursday’s game and was found to still be one piece. Brown was still experiencing soreness and did not play Thursday (he was replaced by Randy Ready), will not play tonight against Cincinnati right-hander Jack Armstrong, but could play Saturday.

And you thought the Padres were strange: Let the truth be told about the Astros’ 4-1 victory Tuesday after 11 consecutive losses at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Astro pitcher Jim Deshaies removed the stadium “hex” in a pregame ceremony derived from a book on witchcraft. Tuesday morning, Deshaies visited a bookstore in the Fashion Valley Mall behind the team’s hotel. Directed by a salesman to books on the occult, he chose “Crane’s Book of Words.” Upon reading the book, he learned that to remove a hex, one needed to first build a fire with branches from the hazel, oak, elm, and willow trees. He gathered what he thought were the appropriate branches from trees outside the hotel, then brought them to the clubhouse. The book said the next step was to break the branches, spit on them, build a fire with scrap paper, throw them in the fire, and then chant seven times, “Turner be turned, burner be burned, let only good come from this wood.” According to the book, the curse was supposed to die with the flame. After batting practice, with about 10 players around him, Deshaies followed the instructions to the letter, building the fire on a clubhouse garbage can and reciting the chant. You saw what happened later, and then what happened Thursday. “I woke up and decided I just had to do something about this,” Deshaies said. “A curse is a curse. It was time for it to end.” One footnote: Before performing the ritual, Deshaies asked if any Astros did not believe in this. Glenn Davis raised his hand. Shortly thereafter, Davis pulled a hamstring, which could derail the Astros pennant hopes by missing as much as two weeks.

PADRES AT A GLANCE FIRST INNING

Astros--Hatcher doubled to center. Doran homered to right, his sixth. Puhl singled to center. Bass walked. Bell struck out, Puhl stealing third, Bass stealing second. Reynolds grounded to second, Puhl scoring, Bass taking third. Ramirez struck out. Three runs, three hits, one left.

THIRD INNING

Padres--Show singled to left. Jefferson bunted safely, Show taking second. Ready singled to right, Show scoring, Jefferson taking third. Gwynn, bunting, reached first on fielder’s choice, Jefferson being thrown out at home by first baseman Reynolds, Ready taking second. Martinez fouled to catcher. Moreland grounded to third. One run, three hits, two left.

SIXTH INNING

Padres--Martinez walked and took second on Knepper’s wild pitch. Moreland grounded to shortstop, Martinez taking third. Santiago lined to right. Thon singled to left, Martinez scoring. Thon stole second. Alomar flied to right. One run, one hit, one left.