Clark, Hurst Earn Pay Against Braves

There have been several times this season, they admit, that they’ve wondered just what would have happened if they had stayed put.

The folks in Boston swear the Red Sox would be running away with the American League East this season if they had hung on to Bruce Hurst.

Never mind, the New York Yankees say. If they had not traded Jack Clark, they’d be smiling away at the rest of the pack.

Hurst and Clark, the Padres’ $2 million men, finally are performing to their capabilities. It perhaps is too late to help the Padres--who defeated the Atlanta Braves, 9-7, Wednesday in front of 6,967 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium--but imagine the anguish felt in Boston and New York these days.

When Yankee owner George Steinbrenner picks up the New York tabloids this morning, he’ll see that Clark went four for five with four RBIs. It easily was his biggest offensive night since joining the Padres. You have to go back to May 28, 1985, against the Braves to find the last time he had four hits in a game, and this was his biggest RBI night since Aug. 16, 1987, when he drove in six against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I hated to trade Jack, but he wanted out, and I abided by his wishes,” Steinbrenner said. “I tell you what, we sure could use him right now.”

Red Sox General Manager Lou Gorman will see in the box score that perhaps Hurst did not have his usual command, walking four batters and allowing three earned runs in six innings, but next to his name will be a 10-8 record. It’s his seventh consecutive 10-victory season, and if you don’t think that’s difficult, try finding the others who have accomplished the feat.

Just two games behind the Baltimore Orioles, how does Gorman feel about not having Hurst, particularly considering the arm problems of Roger Clemens?

“We miss him, we him him tremendously,” Gorman said. “Life goes on, but if we had him now, we’d be in great shape. But what can I do about it now?”

Perhaps this is the same question the Padres are asking themselves these days. Here they are with a 53-54 record, just one victory shy of the reaching the .500 mark for the first time since June 7, and wondering if their hot streak is an aberration or the real thing.

They’ve won six of their past eight games, and six of their past seven series, hanging just close enough in the National League West race not to be considered extinct.

“This is the month we’ve been waiting for,” Tim Flannery said. “Either we’re going to be in the middle of this thing after this month, or they’re going to be bringing up the whole Las Vegas team. I think this season is a 30-day long season, and we’ll find out then just what we’re made of.”

The talk indeed was bold in the Padre clubhouse after the game. Oh, no one was predicting a division title or anything silly like that. But all of a sudden, the Padres seem to believe that it’s foolish for anyone to think it’s an automatic two-team race between the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros.

Take the Padres’ game Wednesday, for instance. The Braves took a 4-3 lead in the sixth when they scored three runs off Hurst on two walks and two hits.

After failing to even hit the ball out of the infield the past two innings, and with the bottom of their order due up, not even the Padres could have envisioned what would happen next.

After No. 8 hitter Shawn Abner opened the inning by grounding out to third, Padre Manager Jack McKeon decided he could wait no longer to bring in a pinch-hitter. He called upon Flannery, who never before had seen Brave reliever Mark Eichhorn pitch.

Since Eichhorn has spent the past 11 years either in the minors or the American League, Flannery turned to teammate Mike Pagliarulo, who had seen him plenty. Flannery was told what Eichhorn throws, and before stepping to the plate, he asked Pagliarulo if he ever threw inside.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Pagliarulo said.

Flannery hit a line-drive down the third-base line--foul by a couple of inches. He awaited his moment again. Remembering Pagliarulo’s tip, Flannery stepped into the next pitch. Oops. The ball sailed inside on him, just the opposite that Pagliarulo said. The result was a weak grounder to second baseman Jeff Blauser.

“He jammed me,” Flannery said, “so I was airing him (Pagliarulo) out all the way down the line.”

Only a funny thing happened. When Blauser made his throw to Darrell Evans, it was high to his left. Flannery, hustling as if he had hit a triple into the gap, dove head-first to the right of the bag. Evans put down the tag. Safe.

“To me,” Clark said, “that’s the key to the game. My game’s only set up because there’s guys on base, and it forced the situation.”

Bip Roberts followed with a single to left, advancing Flannery to third. Roberto Alomar, executing a hit-and-run, doubled over the first-base bag. Two runs scored, and Alomar went to third when the Braves botched a rundown.

The Braves decided to intentionally walk Tony Gwynn, hoping to induce the double-play with Clark at the plate. Eichhorn fed him one slider and held his breath as Clark launched one into the left-field seats. Foul.

“Experience has taught me that in conditions like that,” Clark said, “pitchers like to come back with the same pitch. They’re thinking that hitters aren’t going to be looking for the same pitch, because they just hit the last one so hard.”

The reverse psychology, or whatever you want to call it, went exactly as planned for Clark. Eichhorn came back with another slider. Clark sent it sailing about 410 feet into the left-field seats.

“The only attitude I’m taking was that it was just another hit,” Clark said. “I’ll take a single every time, it doesn’t matter to me. And if I get my hits, I think you might see something happen.

“I know it may sound strange, but stranger things have happened. I think we’re as good as anybody, but we just haven’t proved it or proved it to ourselves all year.

“We’ve been playing like a third-place club.”

“That might be changing.”

Padre Notes

Carmelo Martinez went two for four with a homer and two RBIs and is expected to start again tonight for injured Chris James. Martinez, a free agent at the end of the season, still looms as trade bait, but the only big-league club who has inquired about his availability is the Baltimore Orioles. “I just want to go where I can play,” Martinez said. “I can’t afford to sit down. I don’t even care if it’s a contender, and maybe it’d be best that it won’t be, because I want to be starting for someone.” . . . James is suffering from a hip-flexor injury and is questionable for the three-game series against the Dodgers this weekend. Martinez, taking his place in the lineup, started for the first time since July 7. . . . Pitcher Ed Whitson, who pitched just two innings Sunday because of a blister on the middle finger of his right hand, pitched 15 minutes on the side Wednesday, reporting no problems. . . . The Padres watched the videotape of their infamous 1984 brawl with the Atlanta Braves over and over again before the game Wednesday. They got the most pleasure out of Kurt Bevacqua throwing uppercuts at anyone in his line of fire and griped the loudest when Craig Lefferts was seen walking away from the brawl. . . . Since hitting two home runs and driving in six runs in the sixth inning July 27 in the Braves’ 10-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants, Brave right fielder Dale Murphy is zero for 14 with one RBI. . . . The Padres will conclude their three-game series at 4:40 tonight against the Braves, and leave after the game for a three-game series beginning Friday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Don Schulze (1-0) and John Smoltz (11-8) are the scheduled starters.

PADRES AT A GLANCEScorecard

SECOND INNING

Padres--Clark singled to left. Martinez singled to center, Clark stopping at second. Santiago flied to center, Clark taking third. Salazar forced Martinez, Clark scoring. Abner flied to right. One run, two hits, one left.

THIRD INNING

Braves--With one out, Glavine reached first on Alomar’s error. McDowell forced Glavine, stole second and took third on Hurst’s wild pitch. Blauser walked. Smith doubled to left, McDowell scoring, Smith thrown out at third. One run (none earned), one hit, one left.

FOURTH INNING

Padres--Clark singled to right. Martinez homered to left, his fifth. Sanitago grounded to shortstop. Salazar singled to center. Abner singled to right. Hurst grounded into double play. Two runs, four hits, one left.

SIXTH INNING

Braves--McDowell walked. Blauser sacrificed. Smith singled to left, McDowell scoring. Smith stole second and took third on Santiago’s throwing error. Murphy walked. Thomas forced Murphy, Smith scoring. Evans doubled to center, Thomas scoring. Whited grounded to third. Three runs, two hits, one left.

SEVENTH INNING

Padres--With one out, Flannery reached first on Blauser’s error. Roberts singled to right, Flannery taking third. Alomar doubled to right, Flannery and Roberts scoring, Alomar taking third on the throw. Gwynn was walked intentionally. Clark homered to left, his 13th. Martinez bounced to pitcher. Santiago struck out. Five runs (four earned), three hits.

Braves--Benedict doubled to left. Gregg flied to center, Benedict taking third. McDowell homered to right, his first. Blauser struck out. Smith fouled to right. Two runs, two hits.

EIGHTH INNING

Braves--With one out, Thomas singled to left. Davis relieved Harris. Evans popped to shortstop. Whited doubled to center, Thomas scoring. Benedict grounded to second. One run, two hits, one left.

NINTH INNING

Padres--Roberts singled to left. Alomar grounded to third, Roberts stopping at second. Gwynn reached first on Thomas’ fielding error, Roberts stopping at third. Clark singled to right, Roberts scoring, Gwynn taking third and Clark taking second on Thomas’ error. Martinez struck out. Santiago was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Davis struck out. One run (none earned), two hits, three left.

* DODGERS BEAT GIANTS

Walks and wild pitches help the Dodgers beat San Francisco, 7-4. Story, Page 6.