Carter Falls Just Short of Slam, : Then Dodgers Roll Past Padres

Padre center fielder Joe Carter couldn’t wait to get to the plate Wednesday in the seventh inning. The bases were loaded. The game was tied. The pitcher had no room for error.

It’s a situation that every power-hitter craves, and when you’re going for the RBI title like Carter, you can use all the help you can get.

“You get pumped for things like that,” Carter said, “that’s money time for me.”

Instead, Carter hit a slider off Tim Crews that sailed into deep center, but right into the glove of Kirk Gibson. And just like that, the Dodgers escaped complete catastrophe, and Carter could only watch as the Dodgers turned a 3-3 game into a rout, winning 10-3 in front of a crowd of 16,706 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“I hit it 400 feet, but I just hit it to the wrong part of the ballpark,” Carter said. “You’re going to have days where you don’t drive them in, and this was one of them, where I let everyone down.”

The victory by the Dodgers allowed them to regain a game in the standings to the division-leading Cincinnati Reds. They trail by six games with 19 to play, including a three-game series beginning Friday in Cincinnati.

“I think it’d take a miracle,” Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said, “for them to catch them now.”

The Padres (66-76) of course, long ago were dismissed as contenders in the National League West race, but Carter knows he still has the opportunity for personal glory by becoming the first player in major league history to win the RBI title in both leagues.

The trouble is, he also has a chance of achieving another record, finishing with the lowest batting average of any National League player in history with at least 100 RBIs.

The lowest batting average by a National League player with at least 100 RBIs belongs to Ron Cey of the Dodgers, who batted .241 with 110 RBIs in 1977. Runner-up Ralph Kiner of Pittsburgh batted .247 with 109 RBIs in 1946.

Move over, and make room for Carter, who has 105 RBIs.

By going hitless in four at-bats Wednesday (and leaving six runners stranded on base) Carter’s batting average dropped to .227.

“I’m not going to worry about that,” Carter said, “because the way I look at it, what good are hits for me when there’s nobody on base? I mean, if you’re going to get one or two hits, you might as well get them with men on base or else you’re wasting time.

“That’s what wins you ballgames. When men are on base, it’s money time. I’m telling you if I hit .330, and I drive in 50, 60 runs, there’s going to be people that aren’t happy about that.”

Tony Gwynn, the Padres’ four-time batting champion, overhearing the conversation: “Tell me about it. I can attest to that.”

This is why Carter was so distraught with his at-bat in the seventh, a time when one swing of the bat could put the game away.

Carter, who has batted 18 times this season with the bases loaded, but has hit only .143 (one for seven) with two outs, watched Crews throw a first-pitch strike on the outside corner of the plate. The second pitch was was high for a ball. Crews, knowing that he couldn’t afford to get behind in the count, came in with a slider, and Carter swung away.

“I thought it might be going out,” Riddoch said. “I thought we might be breaking it open.”

Instead, it stopped short of the warning track, and ended the Padres’ last gasp at victory.

The Dodgers, who blew a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning, came right back and put away the game with a three-run eighth inning off Padre reliever Atlee Hammaker.

Hammaker opened the inning by striking out Gibson, which isn’t considered any great achievement considering Gibson hasn’t obtained a hit in his past 27 at-bats. Hammaker then surrendered a single to Eddie Murray, was called for a balk, was forced to intentionally walk Hubie Brooks, and completed his stint by allowing a single to to left by Mike Scioscia, loading the bases.

Riddoch mercifully removed Hammaker from the game, who in his past four outings is 0-3 with a 8.60 ERA, and handed the ball to Greg Harris.

Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda countered with Kal Daniels, who was being used as a pinch-hitter for only the third time this season, walking once and hitting a two-run double April 12 against the Padres.

Lasorda might consider using Daniels in that role a little more often.

This time, Daniels hit a sharp ground ball down the first-base line that didn’t stop until it bounced around the Dodger bullpen. By the time the ball was retrieved, Daniels was standing on second, and all three baserunners had scored. Daniels’ pinch-hitting totals: two for two, two doubles, five RBIs.

The Dodgers then ended any visions the Padres had of another comeback in the ninth, scoring four runs off Eric Show, shattering his 15 1/3-inning scoreless streak, and providing the Padres with their largest defeat since July 23 when they lost 9-2 to the Reds.

Actually, it was Murray who caused most of the damage on this night, going three for four, with a single, double and a home run. He also scored four runs, tying a career high last set July 10, 1987, against the Minnesota Twins when he played for the Baltimore Orioles.

Padre Notes

Padre Manager Greg Riddoch, who has heard some grumblings of his managerial style by a few veterans on the club, said he will try to meet individually with everyone before the season ends. “There’s been some resistance,” Riddoch said, “but I’ve got to to what I believe is right for me, not for them. If a guy wants to pop off, and set the ground rules, I’ll pop off back. . . . There are some here who are very threatened by it.” . . . Padre left fielder Fred Lynn made his third consecutive start Wednesday for the first time since April 28-May 5, when he made five starts in a row. “I’d like to get the kids in there,” Riddoch said, “but I feel I owe it to the Reds and the Dodgers to put my best team out there. When we get to Atlanta and Houston, I’ll start playing the kids again.” . . . Padre shortstop Garry Templeton was honored before the game for meritorious service, playing in his 1,238th game for the Padres, a franchise record. He received a plaque, and pins of Templeton were distributed to the crowd. . . . The Padres, according to the Major League Players Assn., must exercise the contract options of pitchers Eric Show and Atlee Hammaker by Oct. 10 or declare them free agents. Neither have been informed of the Padres’ decision, although the Padres are expected to keep Hammaker, and let go Show. . . . Home-plate umpire Terry Tata chewed out the Padre scoreboard operators Monday and Tuesday for showing replays of close plays. If the practice continued, Tata threatened, he’d shut down the scoreboard. The Padres got the hint. There were no replays of close plays Wednesday. . . . You know you’re in the big leagues now: Padre rookie infielder Paul Faries already has been provided a nickname by Chris Berman of ESPN-TV, who has dubbed him, Paul (Tooth) Faries. “Can you believe it,” Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn joked, “the guy’s been here two days and already gets a nickname.” . . . Gwynn threw out Juan Samuel in the second inning for his team-high eighth assist of the season.