Fracture Adds Trouble for Gwynn

A difficult season got worse for the Padres’ Tony Gwynn Saturday night when he fractured the tip of his right index finger while trying to catch a ball off the right-field wall at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The Padres won the game, 5-3, in the 11th inning after blowing a 3-1 lead in the ninth.

Gwynn left the game immediately after running into the wall while attempting to run down what wound up being a double by Atlanta’s Jeff Treadway in the third inning.

Gwynn was taken to a hospital, where X-rays revealed the fracture. A Padre spokesman said Gwynn would fly to San Diego today for further examination.

The injury followed the 1990 pattern for Gwynn, who has been struggling at the plate with a .310 average--about 20 points below his career mark--and has been unhappy with what he believes has been unwarranted criticism of his playing style by several teammates.

“When I went up, I slammed my hand against the wall and cracked the tip of it,” Gwynn said. “I don’t know where I’ll go from here. I think it’s something I can play with once the swelling goes down. I don’t think it’s serious. I expect to be back in a few days.”

If his season were to end here, his .310 average would be his lowest since 1983, when he hit .309 after starting the season in Las Vegas. Gwynn conceded two weeks ago that his string of consecutive NL batting titles would be ending at three.

Gwynn was involved in all of the Padres’ three runs in the third, driving in two with a triple and scoring on Joe Carter’s single to make it 3-0. The two RBIs came in the nick of time, considering what happened a few minutes later; they gave Gwynn a career-high 72, one more than his previous season best.

Atlanta scored one run in the seventh off reliever Greg Harris after chasing starter Andy Benes. And things got worse for the Padres in the ninth.

With one out, Jeff Blauser hit a home run, his seventh, off Harris to make it 3-2. The Padres then turned to closer Craig Lefferts, who one out later yielded another home run to Lonnie Smith, tying the game.

“I can’t recall any hits I’ve had off Lefferts,” Smith said. “He’s tough. He was trying not walk me, so he just laid one in.”

It was the seventh blown save opportunity of the season for Lefferts. But he wound up with his seventh victory instead when the Padres rallied in the 11th.

Benito Santiago led off with a single off loser Jeff Parrett, the fourth Brave pitcher. Mike Pagliarulo sacrificed, and Joey Cora sent Santiago to third with a single, chasing Parrett.

Fred Lynn drove in Santiago with a single up the middle off Tony Castillo, and after Bip Roberts was intentionally walked, Garry Templeton provided a cushion with a groundout to second that scored Cora.

“Tony made the right pitch and got the ground ball,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said. “But Lynn’s ball found the right spot.”

Eric Show got the last three outs for his first save since 1982. That extended his string of remarkable success against the Braves, adding to his 18-3 record.

“Actually the Braves have hit me harder than anyone else this year,” said Show, who is 2-0 against them in 1990. “They’ve got more home runs off me this year than anyone else has. My record against them is just luck.”

In the 10th inning, Carter and Padre Manager Greg Riddoch were ejected by umpire Jerry Lane for protesting a called third strike. It was Riddoch’s first ejection, which gave Lane a string of sorts against the Padres. He also handed Gwynn his first major league ejection last season in Los Angeles.

Padre Notes

Padre pitcher Andy Benes has not had a decision in his past four starts and has not won since Aug. 24. . . . Ron Gant needs to score five more runs to become the first Brave to score 100 or more since Dale Murphy (115) in 1987. . . . The Braves are second in the National League with 98 home runs.