Murray Beats Show, Padres in 11th, 5-4

The Padre players were huddled around an 8-year-old handicapped boy in the dugout before Saturday’s game against the Dodgers when pitcher Eric Show walked up and introduced himself. They chatted for awhile, and Show started to leave.

“I’ll see you around,” Show said.

Show took two steps, stopped, and said: “Well, come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ll still be around.”

He laughed weakly, looked toward his teammates, and no one was smiling. It might have been intended as a humorous comment, but unfortunately for Show, it was much more truthful than funny.

Show was the man who surrendered Eddie Murray’s 11th-inning home run Saturday night at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, resulting in the Padres’ 5-4 defeat to the Dodgers, triggering an onslaught of abuse by the 40,794 fans in attendance.

The moment Murray’s home run cleared the right-field fence--his second of the game and the 10th time in his career he homered from each side of the plate--baseball and debris rained onto the field.

There were at least five baseballs that came flying from the stands onto the field, among oranges, cups and other nasty odds and ends. Poor right fielder Tony Gwynn had to head for cover for his own safety.

But he knew, just like everyone on the field, who was the subject of the fans’ tirade. Yes, Show still is the Padres’ all-time leading pitcher with 94 victories, but when you’re 0-6 with an 8.31 ERA, fans could care less about yesterday’s heroics.

Padre Manager Jack McKeon, angry at the fans’ reaction, said: “We’ve got 10 pitchers on the club. “I don’t take a poll every night to see who to put in. (Calvin) Schiraldi has been gone four days. This guy’s been the winningest pitcher in Padres’ history, and he’s the most-experienced guy on the team.

“We gave up seven home runs in two nights, and I didn’t hear anybody say anything. When you come in to relieve, there’s no margin for error.

“You think Eric wanted to give up the home run? He’ll never get to be 1-6 unless he gets to go out there.”

Show’s one-inning performance ruined he heroism of the Padres’ bullpen, which had allowed just two hits in the previous five innings in relief of starter Bruce Hurst.

It also snapped the Padres’ four-game winning streak. The Padres (29-25), winners of 11 of their past 15 games, still however were able to stay 6 1/2 games behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds.

“They play the game so well,” Show said. “And I come in one inning and kind of botch things up. I’m real sorry I let (McKeon) down on his decision that he made. It makes him probably more reluctant to bring me in next time, but I understand his situation.”

The Padres overcame a 4-0 deficit to tie the game in the eighth inning. But it took just until the sixth inning to figure out Dodger starter Fernando Valenzuela.

After getting just one hit off Valenzuela in the first five innings--a double by second baseman Roberto Alomar in the fourth--the Padres unloaded with three runs.

Bip Roberts ended a one-for-15 slump with a leadoff double. After Alomar flied to right, Tony Gwynn singled to center, scoring Roberts. Joe Carter struck out for the second out, but then Jack Clark stepped up and belted a 1-1 pitch over the center-field fence.

Suddenly, the Dodgers’ commanding 4-0 lead had been cut to 4-3.

The Padres kept threatening. Benito Santiago walked, and Mike Pagliarulo singled to right. But that was enough for Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda. He summoned Don Aase, who promptly induced a groundout by Garry Templeton.

The Padres were in prime position to at least tie the game in the seventh when Roberts hit a one-out single to right, and snickered in delight as right fielder Hubie Brooks’ throw sailed over cutoff man Juan Samuel’s head, past pitcher Tim Crews and through third baseman Mike Sharperson into foul terrority. Roberts took second, and now just needed a single by Alomar or Gwynn to score. No luck. Alomar lined out to left field, and Gwynn grounded to second.

But in the eighth, Joe Carter changed everything when he homered into the left-field seats, tying the game. It was the first time this season that Carter and Clark have homered in the same game. And for Carter, eight of his past 19 hits have been homers.

The Padres threatened to put the game away after Carter’s homer, loading the bases with two outs in the eighth. But Roberts popped up to first baseman Murray, keeping the game tied.

They threatened again in the ninth and 10th innings, but came away empty-handed each time. In the ninth, Carter stretched a single into a two-out double. Howell intentionally walked Clark, and ended the inning by getting Santiago to hit a bouncer back to the mound. And in the 10th, pinch-runner Shawn Abner was left standing at third.

Of course, some things never change. The Padres still can’t score for Hurst, and didn’t begin their attack until after he left in the fifth inning.

Incredibly, the Padres have scored two or fewer runs in eight of Hurst’s 12 starts this season while he has been in the game. For the season, they’ve scored just 25 runs during the 80 innings he has pitched.

Actually, even if the Padres had been scoring early, Hurst probably would not have been around to reap the benefits.

It was evident early that this would not be his night. It doesn’t take a baseball scout to tell you that after watching Jose Gonzalez and Mike Sharperson open the game by lining shots to left field, with left fielder Bip Roberts doing everything he can to keep the balls from tearing the glove off his hand.

But beginning in the second, there was little anyone could do to help Hurst. Murray opened the inning with a towering home run into the left-field seats, his sixth of the season and first in 62 at-bats.

The Dodgers kept piling it on, scoring another run in the second inning, and two more in the fourth on Hubie Brooks’ homer over the left-field fence.

For Brooks, it simply was a continuation of his dominance over Hurst. This was the same guy, if you remember, who ruined Hurst’s debut in the season-opener with a three-run homer in the eighth inning. He now is batting .571 (four for seven) off Hurst with two homers, five RBIs and four runs scored.

And for the Padres, it simply was a continuation of their nasty habit of surrendering the long ball.

The Padres not only have have yielded a major league-leading 68 home runs this season, but they now are on a pace to shatter the National League record. If they continue at this pace, the Padres will allow 204 home runs by the end of the season, eclipsing the league record of 192 allowed by the 1962 New York Mets at the Polo Grounds.

Padre Notes

The Padres signed their second-round draft pick, pitcher Scott Sanders of Nicholls State, for about $97,000, according to sources. Sanders, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander, is a breaking ball pitcher with a fastball in the low 80s. Sanders worked out Saturday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium before the game. His biggest problem? Finding baseball shoes to fit his size-11 feet. . . . So far, the highest-paid draft choice is No. 4 pick Alex Sanchez of the Chicago White Sox, who signed for a reported $350,000. . . . Padre starter Ed Whitson, who suffered a strained back during the Padres’ 12-6 victory Friday over the Dodgers, said that he had his back popped back in place, and is not expected to miss a start. . . . Padre reliever Greg Harris, who gave up two home runs in just 1 1/3 innings Friday: “I just wasn’t ready. Things happened so fast that I think that was the first time in my life I wasn’t mentally prepared when I came into the game. I didn’t even know who the first batter I was facing until he walked up to the plate.” It was Kal Daniels, who hit a homer on the first pitch. . . . Padre Manager Jack McKeon said that the Milwaukee Brewers also telephoned him in an effort to move outfielder Glenn Braggs, but he was unwilling to give up any of his five starters. . . . McKeon, on the fact that until Saturday relievers Mark Grant and Calvin Schiraldi had pitched in a game since June 1: “Really, I don’t want to see them in there, because if they’re not in there, that means we’re doing good.” . . . Third baseman Mike Pagliarulo’s three-hit game Friday night was his first as a Padre, and his first since May 19, 1989 against Seattle when he was with the New York Yankees. . . . Just how crazy was Friday’s National League action? There were 98 runs scored in six National League games, with the league batting .312 with 22 home runs. . . . The Padres will conclude their three-game series against the Dodgers at 1:05 p.m. today. Andy Benes (6-4) is scheduled to face Ramon Martinez (6-3). The Padres are off Monday, and then will finish their homestand with a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. Dennis Rasmussen (6-2) and Don Robinson (1-0) are scheduled Tuesday; Ed Whitson (5-3) and Bob Knepper (3-3) are scheduled Wednesday. And Bruce Hurst (5-3) and Atlee Hammaker (4-4) are the probable starters Thursday.