Martinez Hero Again; Padres Beat Mets in 10

Tony who?

The question you never thought would be asked with regard to the Padres was stated, however briefly, Friday night by a guy named Martinez.

Subbing in right field and the No. 3 batting spot for Tony Gwynn, who has a swollen left hand that can barely hold a baseball, Carmelo Martinez soundly began and ended the Padres’ fourth consecutive victory, 3-2, in 10 innings over the New York Mets.

In the first, he hit a two-run homer off Sid Fernandez, his eighth, to give the Padres a 2-0 lead.

Then, after Eric Show faltered in the eighth and allowed a two-run single by Len Dykstra, Martinez stepped up and won it with an RBI single off Randy Myers in the 10th. It was his second game-winner in two games. Thursday, his bases-loaded, ninth-inning single beat Montreal, 5-4.

Gwynn undoubtedly will be back. But after hearing the cheers of 37,184 at San Diego Murphy Stadium, Martinez undoubtedly won’t soon forget what life without Tony Gwynn was like.

The ending was as dramatic as the post-game fireworks and not nearly as orchestrated.

After Padre reliever Mark Davis worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, finishing a stint of 2 scoreless innings for the victory, the Padres struck quickly off the Myers, who had just entered the game.

Roberto Alomar led off with a single to left. Tim Flannery, in one of his best pinch-hit appearances of the year, fought off two full-count fastballs and drew a walk.

Then Myers got serious. Stanley Jefferson struck out trying to bunt. Randy Ready struck out on a full-count fastball. Then Martinez--ever the dauntless platoon player--stuck his bat in front of a 2-and-1 pitch and watched the ball drift to the left of a diving Kevin Elster at shortstop and bound into left field. Alomar slid in under Kevin McReynolds’ high and wide throw, and that was that.

“Anybody likes it when the game is on the line, as long as you can get a hit,” Martinez said. “I was thinking I got my hit yesterday, so it wasn’t like I was going to be a hero or anything again. I just tried to make contact and get on top of the ball. I don’t think Tony’s job is in jeopardy.”

All this was after the Mets were downright scary in their own half of the 10th. Howard Johnson led off by walking on a 3-and-1 pitch. After Elster bunted Johnson to second, Davis intentionally walked Mookie Wilson and unintentionally walked pinch-hitter Barry Lyons, not such a good idea considering Lyons was hitting .211 with 12 hits and just two other walks all season.

Davis was tired. The bases were loaded. And headed to the plate were Tim Teufel and Keith Hernandez.

But suddenly, something happened inside Davis. Suddenly, from somewhere, there was life again.

Down went Teufel, on three pitches, strikeout. Down went Hernandez, on two pitches, flyout to left to end the inning. It was Davis’ ninth consecutive scoreless appearance covering 17 innings.

The game might have never lasted this long had the Padre minds not believed so much in the endurance of starter Eric Show and gone to Davis even earlier.

Clinging to a 2-0 lead entering the eighth, thanks to that two-run Martinez homer, Show suddenly appeared to tire.

Johnson led off the eighth with a double down the right-field line. Show then worked the count full on David Magadan before fooling him into a grounder back to the mound, keeping Johnson on second.

Up came Wilson, pinch-hitting for Met starter Sid Fernandez and hitting just .241 career off Show.

Show immediately fell behind 2-and-0 and then, after working the count full again, threw a high and wide pitch. Wilson trotted down to first.

Just about the time he reached there, Padre pitching coach Pat Dobson was finding his feet and doing his own trot, out to the mound. Mark Davis, who had been furiously warming up since Johnson’s double, was ready. By the hurried look in his walk, Dobson appeared ready. Left-handed hitting Lenny Dykstra stepped up, and a pitching change appeared set.

Not so fast. Dobson talked, Show talked, Dobson scowled, Show scowled. Both men scuffed the dirt, and then, suddenly, Dobson turned and was gone. And Show remained.

His first pitch after that? A wild pitch, in the dirt, allowing the runners to move to second and third.

His next pitch? You guessed it. Dykstra fisted it down the first-base line and into right field, and both runs scored.

Davis then came in and did the kind of thing he might have done earlier--retired Teufel on a groundout and struck out Hernandez on a full-count curveball.

Padre Notes

The Padres’ injury news wasn’t all bad Friday. Pitcher Dennis Rasmussen reported to work “feeling better” after suffering a pulled right hamstring in Wednesday night’s 4-2 victory over Montreal. “It’s feeling better, I’m planning on throwing on my usual day Sunday and then making my scheduled start Tuesday, what else can I say?” Rasmussen said. The Padre bosses said they will wait until watching him throw Sunday afternoon before making a final decision but are not surprised at his feelings. “You can pitch with those things (pulled hamstrings) because I have, for six starts here (with the Padres) in 1970,” pitching Coach Pat Dobson said. “The hard part is if he needs to make a quick cover of first base, that could be difficult. But just throwing the ball, he should be fine.”

PADRES AT A GLANCEFIRST INNING

Padres--Jefferson walked and took second on Fernandez’s balk. Ready grounded to short, Jefferson taking third. Martinez homered to left, his eighth. Moreland lined to third. Santiago flied to right. Two runs, one hit.

EIGHTH INNING

Mets--Johnson doubled to right. Magadan grounded to pitcher. Wilson, batting for Fernandez, walked. Johnson took third and Wilson took second on a wild pitch. Dykstra doubled to right, Johnson and Wilson scoring. Davis replaced Show. Teufel, batting for Backman, grounded to third. Hernandez struck out. Two runs, two hits, one left.

10TH INNING

Padres--Myers took the mound. Alomar singled to left. Flannery, batting for Davis, walked. Jefferson and Ready struck out. Martinez singled to left, Alomar scoring. One run, one hit, two left.