Padres Are Lost From the Start; Braves Win, 16-11

The question seemed innocent enough.

It was a couple of hours before game time Friday, and Padre Manager Jack McKeon wondered if Atlanta had changed its lineup from the previous night.

“Yeah,” someone said. “Oddibe McDowell is leading off.”

Well, he may as well have said Hank Aaron was leading off, or Eddie Mathews, or some other Hall of Fame Brave.

The Atlanta Braves in general, and McDowell in particular, turned the first two innings into one of the wilder hitting displays seen lately in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium and went on to whip the Padres, 16-11, before 22,291 fans.

Mike Dunne (0-2) started for the Padres, but he was done before the first inning ended. Eric Show came on and was gone by the end of the second.

Not that they were helped much by their defense. The Padres tied a club record by committing six errors, which led to five unearned Brave runs. The last time the Padres committed six errors in a game was last April 29.

Bip Roberts led the way with three, and Garry Templeton had two. Second baseman Roberto Alomar had the other.

Things got so bad that Roberts doffed his cap to the crowd after he cleanly fielded a ground ball to end the seventh. By then, the Braves were ahead, 15-9.

That may have been the play of the night. Doffing his hat, not fielding the ball.

It took 3 hours 24 minutes to play, and this is how it ended: the Braves got 16 runs on just 13 hits. The Padres had 11 runs and 17 hits. And six errors.

Some numbers:

--McDowell nearly hit for the cycle in the first two innings alone. He doubled in the first and singled and homered in the second. Give him three RBIs.

Those were the only hits he got. He finished three for six.

--Atlanta hit three home runs in the second inning. Ron Gant hit a two-run homer, Dale Murphy added a three-run homer, and McDowell added another three-run homer.

--Murphy’s homer was career No. 362, which moved him into 35th place alone on the all-time list, ahead of Joe DiMaggio.

As for the all-time San Diego list, it was Murphy’s 22nd in this stadium, the most of any active player.

--Benito Santiago was four for four with a walk. It was the third four-hit game of his career and his first since last July 18.

--Tony Gwynn was four for six. It was the 19th four-hit game of his career and his first since last Aug. 11.

But enough numbers. Let’s cut to the “First Two Innings.” We’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version.

In the first:

Atlanta sent seven batters to the plate. Then Dunne left. Then two more Braves batted. Atlanta got three singles and a double and four runs. The big hit: Jeff Blauser’s single to left, which scored two and chased Dunne.

Blauser, by the way, was the fifth consecutive batter to reach base against Dunne. Gant singled, Jim Presley walked, Dave Justice singled and Murphy walked.

Then came Blauser’s single.

But, wait. The Padres came right back with three in the bottom of the first. Big hit: Fred Lynn’s double to right, which scored two. The Padres had fought back, and trailed, 4-3.

But now, it was time for the second:

Atlanta sent nine batters to the plate. Then Show was yanked. Then two more Braves batted.

This was the inning of The Home Run, Gant, Murphy and McDowell. Gant’s and Murphy’s came against Show; McDowell hit his off Calvin Schiraldi. He was the first batter Schiraldi faced.

Roberts and Templeton each made an error in this inning. At one point, five consecutive Braves reached base against Show. Gant homered, Presley reached first on a Roberts error, Justice singled, Murphy homered and Blauser walked.

It was 12-3.

Give up? Not the Padres, They turned around and got four more runs off Atlanta starter John Smoltz in the bottom of the second. Three came when Santiago homered to left.

But the Padres would not complete the comeback on this night. Too many Atlanta hits, and too many errors.

Atlanta scored in every inning but the fourth, fifth and ninth. The Padres scored in five different innings.

You can understand, then, why one of the biggest ovations of the evening came at 8:42 p.m., when Schiraldi finally retired Atlanta one-two-three. It was the only time the Braves went down in order.

The Padres used six pitchers, but three decided this game.

One was Dunne, who allowed four hits, four runs and two walks in a third of an inning.

One was Show, who went 1 1/3 innings and gave up seven runs--four earned, four hits and a walk. A total of 18 of the 31 runs Show has allowed this season are the result of home runs.

The third was Schiraldi, who went 3 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on a hit. Remember, though, it was Schiraldi who allowed McDowell’s three-run homer in the second. Two of those runs were charged to Show.

That’s why 17 hits weren’t enough for the Padres. In addition to Santiago and Gwynn, Roberts had two and Jerald Clark hit his first home run, a two-run shot in the eighth.

They got seven hits and seven runs off Smoltz, and chased him after the second inning. And this was a pitcher who pitched 8 1/3 innings of no-hit ball Sunday against Philadelphia.

Some things you just can’t figure. Like scoring in double figures and losing. The last time that happened to the Padres was on June 7, 1987.

Against Atlanta, 13-12.

Oh, well.

Padre Notes

Third baseman Mike Pagliarulo, who strained his left hamstring rounding third base Thursday, did not start Friday. Padre Manager Jack McKeon said he may give Pagliarulo a couple of nights off. Not only did Pagliarulo strain his hamstring Thursday, but his seven-game hitting streak was broken as well. . . . First baseman Jack Clark took batting practice again Friday. He hopes to return to the lineup by the end of the 13-game home stand, the Padres’ longest of the season. . . . Shawn Abner watched his brother, Chris, play in the College World Series Friday on ESPN. Chris Abner is an outfielder for Georgia Southern, which lost to Stanford, 5-4, in 10 innings in the opener. “First time I’ve seen him play in five or six years,” Shawn said. . . . The Padres’ 2-1 victory over Atlanta Thursday was their lowest run total in a victory this season. . . . Sports Bag Night is tonight, and 45,000 tickets have been sold so far. The Padres’ Ed Whitson (4-3) will face Derek Lilliquist (2-6). . . . Farm Report: Las Vegas (triple-A) blew an 8-2 lead Thursday and lost to Phoenix, 14-8. Rob Nelson hit a grand slam for Las Vegas.