National League Roundup : Padres Beat Giants Again, 4-3, as Jack Clark Is Ejected at Candlestick

Former Giant Jack Clark’s return to San Francisco might wind up in a suspension for the slugging first baseman.

Clark, booed by fans in his first series at Candlestick Park since returning to the National League as a Padre, played a key factor in two consecutive San Diego victories.

After the Giants battered the Padres, 9-0, in the opener Monday night, Clark hit a home run with a man on in the fourth inning Tuesday night in a 4-2 victory.

Wednesday, he walked with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to help give the Padres a 4-3 victory but wasn’t around at the finish.

Clark was ejected by plate umpire Bob Davidson in the eighth inning after Davidson called Benito Santiago out on strikes.

Davidson said Clark shouted an obscenity from the dugout, but later John Kruk confessed that he did it.

Clark charged toward home plate, threw dirt on the plate in a heated argument in which it appeared he bumped Davidson.

“I said nothing,” Clark claimed. “He should be an American League umpire. I guess he just picked someone out of the dugout. It could have cost us the game.”

Davidson said: “Jack stood up, threw both hands up and yelled an obscenity. That’s why I ejected him.”

Padre Manager Jack McKeon said Davidson was wrong. But he was more upset by the attention the controversy received.

“Instead of talking about Santiago’s three runs batted in and Mark Davis closing out the game, “ McKeon said, “you guys (reporters) want to write negatively. Big deal. Guys get thrown out all the time.”

Eric Show went 7 2/3 innings to improve his record to 3-1. Davis got his seventh save in seven appearances.

Giant reliever Craig Lefferts retired the Padres in order in the ninth and has set down 29 consecutive batters. The record is 41, set by Jim Barr of the Giants in 1972.

Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 5--Pretty soon they will have to stop calling it a “rare” error by Cardinal shortstop Ozzie Smith.

For the second consecutive game at St. Louis, the shortstop considered baseball’s best made an error to help the Pirates win.

Tuesday night, the Pirates scored the tying and winning runs with two out in the ninth when Smith fumbled a routine ground ball.

Wednesday, Smith’s throwing error helped the Pirates put together a three-run fourth inning.

The Pirates built a 7-1 lead going into the eighth behind Bob Walk (1-1), but the Cardinals rallied to make it close on a bases-loaded pinch triple by Johnny Morris.

New York 4, Philadelphia 2--A three-run pinch home run by Lee Mazzilli with two out in the eighth inning at New York enabled the Mets to pull this one out.

The Mets appeared to be in danger of losing for the ninth time in 13 games when Steve Bedrosian, an outstanding relief pitcher, came in to protect a 2-1 lead with two out and a man on second in the eighth.

Bedrosian walked Howard Johnson, and Mazzilli followed with his fifth career pinch home run.

Atlanta 4, Houston 3--With one swing at Atlanta, Dale Murphy regained some lost confidence.

Murphy hit a two-run single with two out in the eighth inning to give the Braves a victory.

Murphy entered the game with a .115 batting average and two runs batted in his first 13 games.

“I hadn’t done anything, so it feels good to help the cause,” Murphy said. “It’s one game but it helped the confidence a little.”

Montreal 3, Chicago 2--The Cubs went into Montreal riding a seven-game winning streak.

When Tom Foley and Nelson Santovenia hit consecutive homers in the eighth inning, the Cubs left town with a three-game losing streak.

The home runs gave Dennis Martinez, who allowed eight hits before needing help in the ninth, his first victory since last Aug. 24.