Rasmussen’s Early Trouble Leaves Padres in Hole Again

This time with Dennis Rasmussen pitching, it wasn’t a sudden death. It was more of a gradual process.

The Padres lost to the Chicago Cubs, 5-4, Wednesday in one of those frustrating games when victory seems close but is far enough away that you run out of innings before getting there.

For the first time this season--this was his seventh start--Rasmussen didn’t allow a run in the first inning. But he allowed early home runs to Vance Law (his second) and Andre Dawson (fourth) in front of a paid crowd of 20,403.

“I’ve been doing that every time out,” said Rasmussen, who was thoroughly dejected. “I got behind in the count on the first one and hung a slider on the next one.”

Despite that, the Padres tied the game, 3-3, in the fifth before the Cubs scored two in the sixth off reliever Mark Grant.

The Padres closed to within 5-4 and put the tying run on base in weird fashion in the ninth. Roberto Alomar led off but swung at a one-and-one pitch and fouled a ball off his mouth. It split his lower lip and sent Tim Flannery in to finish the at-bat.

Flannery worked reliever Mitch Williams for a walk and moved to second on Luis Salazar’s sacrifice. He stayed there, though, as Tony Gwynn struck out and Jack Clark grounded to shortstop Shawon Dunston, who was playing Clark perfectly at the edge of the outfield grass.

Williams earned his eighth save, and it was Dawson who put him in position to do it. He had a triple in addition to his home run, giving him three runs batted in.

He has 14 home runs in the past three seasons in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“I can’t explain it,” Dawson said. “Sometimes you swing, and you do better than other times. It’s a good atmosphere here. You can see the ball real well. It could be the lights. It’s just an ideal park to play in.”

Not if you have to pitch against Dawson, who hit the triple off Grant.

“Raz pitched pretty good except for the home runs,” Padre Manager Jack McKeon said. “He only allowed four hits. Of course, two of them left the park.”

Rasmussen has worked on his mechanics in the past few days with Pat Dobson, the pitching coach, trying to go straight at hitters rather than throwing across his body. He said he felt better Wednesday.

“But I still got us down early,” he said.

Said McKeon: “With Dawson up there, you’ve got to be conscious that he can put it out of the ballpark.”

The homers left Rasmussen in the same spot he occupied last Friday in Chicago against these same Cubs: trailing, 3-0, in the fifth with his spot in the lineup coming to bat.

So, just like last week, Rasmussen was excused for a pinch hitter. His evening’s work consisted of three runs and four hits allowed and two strikeouts.

Add the numbers all up, and you get a starter in a deep slump. Rasmussen’s record stayed at 1-4 (Grant, 0-1, took the loss) and his earned run average settled at 6.90. He hasn’t won since his first start of the season, a 5-3 victory at Houston on April 7. That’s 25 winless days.

The Cubs’ Paul Kilgus is 3-2, and he has beaten the Padres twice in five days. He shut them down on one hit in 8 2/3 innings Friday but allowed four runs in five innings Wednesday. That was few enough. Kilgus’ earned run average is now 3.53.

“Kilgus has pitched outstanding this season,” Cub Manager Don Zimmer said. “He’s only had one bad outing.”

The Padres briefly tied the game, 3-3, in the fifth, but the Cubs picked up two runs off Grant in the sixth. The new-model Dave Leiper--he cut his shaggy blond hair since the last home stand--and Greg Harris each looked good in relief, but the Padres couldn’t make up the last deficit.

Leiper allowed one hit and struck out one in his two innings, and Harris retired the side one-two-three in the ninth.

Rasmussen retired the first five Cubs in order until Law pulled a two-and-zero pitch over the left-field fence in the second. He entered the game batting just .161 and had just five hits in his past 38 at-bats.

Two innings later, another Cub who was hitting anemically got well. Dawson, slogging away at .236 with just two home runs, followed Ryne Sandberg’s single by putting a Rasmussen pitch into the left-center field seats. Cubs, 3-0, and Rasmussen was tied with Ed Whitson for the Padre staff lead in home runs allowed this season with seven.

Padre fortunes began to change, temporarily at least, the instant Rasmussen left in the fifth. McKeon sent Bip Roberts to the plate to bat, and Roberts answered with a single to center.

Alomar followed with another single to center, moving Roberts to second. The inning was momentarily stalled when Kilgus got in the way of Salazar’s hard smash up the middle. Kilgus deflected the ball to Sandberg, who threw Salazar out at first.

But Roberts was standing on third, and Alomar was dusting himself off at second. And best of all for the Padres, Tony Gwynn was standing at the plate with just one out.

Gwynn worked Kilgus to a full count before sending both runners home with a triple into the alley in left center. Gwynn tied the game when he crossed the plate after Carmelo Martinez sent a hard grounder into the hole between Law at third and Dunston at shortstop.

The momentum didn’t last long. No lead--or tie--is safe when it comes to the Padre relief pitchers unless Mark Davis is pitching, and Davis was still in the bullpen. Grant retired the first two batters he faced--a strikeout and a fly to center--but he followed that by hitting Sandberg with a pitch. Dawson tripled, and Mark Grace singled to score both baserunners, and the Padres trailed again.

They got one back in the sixth but left the tying run at third.

John Kruk drew a leadoff walk and Gary Green doubled to left. Calvin Schiraldi replaced Kilgus. Randy Ready, batting for Grant, fouled out to Grace at first. Alomar grounded to second, which at least scored Kruk and moved Green to third. But Salazar flied to right, and the Padres were caught short, 5-4.

Alomar got two singles before leaving, making it three consecutive games in which he has gotten two hits. Martinez and Kruk also had two each for the Padres.

“We had enough golden opportunities to cash in, we just didn’t do it,” McKeon said.

Padre Notes

Rookie Gary Green made his third start of the season at shortstop. Garry Templeton injured his right shoulder sliding home Tuesday night and was given Wednesday off by Manager Jack McKeon. Templeton’s injury isn’t considered serious. McKeon said Templeton’s status is “day to day.” . . . Pitching matchups for the Pittsburgh series this weekend are the same as they were in last week’s three-game set between the Pirates and Padres: Bob Walk (2-2) vs. the Padres’ Eric Show (4-2) Friday, Doug Drabek (1-3) vs. Bruce Hurst Saturday, and Neal Heaton (0-3) vs. Ed Whitson (4-2) Sunday. . . . Fans who arrived early Wednesday night may have spotted Carmelo Martinez and the Cubs’ Mitch Williams talking near the infield during batting practice. Yes, they were talking about Williams’ game-ending pickoff of Martinez Friday. Martinez said he told Williams, “It’s going to be hard for you to pick me off now when I’m standing half a foot from the base.” Martinez and Williams have known each other for a long time from playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. “I’m not going too far off the base anymore when he’s pitching,” Martinez said. . . . Chicago’s Mark Grace, who played baseball at San Diego State in 1985, said he left just eight complimentary tickets for friends. “A lot of guys have left the area over the years,” Grace said. . . . Injured outfielder Shane Mack said he will take batting practice today and then go to Las Vegas (triple-A). That’s not the official word, though. Said McKeon: “When he tells me he’s ready to play, he’ll play.” . . . Las Vegas’ Rob Nelson extended his hitting streak to 15 games Tuesday night against Vancouver. . . . Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. game against Pittsburgh will be broadcast nationally by the CBS radio network. . . . Get ready for some new car commercials featuring McKeon. He’s scheduled to shoot some more during the next Padre home stand, which begins May 23 with a three-game set against the Mets. . . . Say What? Dept.: The visitor’s clubhouse for baseball is well marked in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Only problem is, underneath the “Visitors’ Clubhouse” lettering on the outside door is a posted sign with the heading “No Visitors” in big, red letters. What gives? Well, the “No Visitors” sign is directed at those not affiliated with the club. The sign is a reminder from Commissioner Bart Giamatti of National League rule 8.2, which prohibits visitors from entering the clubhouse or bench areas. The only legal clubhouse guests are fathers or brothers of the players. . . . Bob Wells, the Padres’ controller since 1984, has been promoted to the director of finance.