Padres Sing Praises After L.A. Sweep

The Padres retreated quickly into the visiting clubhouse Sunday afternoon, gathered around the post-game buffet, and then wondered just how they were supposed to act.

They looked at one another after their 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium, completing the first three-game sweep of the Dodgers in a home-opening series since 1970, questioning what to do next.

Come on, is this really the same team that everyone predicted that would fall on their faces.

Well, it’s about five months too early to break out the champagne. And a month too early before even getting confident.

So what’s a team to do, particularly when a celebrity walks into the clubhouse, actor John Goodman of “Roseanne,” wanting to see how an early pennant contender acts after such occasions?

“I just did what I thought was appropriate in a situation like that,” said Padre reliever Larry Andersen.

He challenged Goodman, who plays a slob on the TV show, to a good old fashioned belching contest.

Andersen took a gulp of beer, and delivered.

Goodman, chugged from his can, and fired away.

Andersen, unimpressed, then unloaded with a sound that reverberated through the clubhouse.

Goodman immediately surrendered, dropped to his knees, and bowed in tribute.

Once that little contest ended, and as long as everyone was standing around the middle of the clubhouse, Andersen felt this was the appropriate time to start a sing-along.

We are the Padres

The mighty mighty Padres

Everywhere we go

People want to know

So we tell them

“You know, a lot of people might say they had that song in high school,” Andersen said, “but I say that’s bull . . . I don’t know any high school named the Padres.

“Hey, we’re going to make this a ritual. Hopefully, the guys will have it down in a week. It’s really not that hard. Of course, we got a few guys in here that it might take a lot longer.”

Yes, as you might have figured out, the Padres are having fun again. They’re sitting atop the National League West, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds, and three in front of the San Francisco Giants.

“You know, people might have know who were when this season started,” Andersen said, turning serious momentarily, “but they’re finding out real quick.”

When you open a season by winning five of the first six games against the Giants and Dodgers, leading the major leagues with a .311 batting average, have four players in the starting lineup hitting .357 or higher, five different pitchers win games and four different save games, there’s a tendency to attract attention.

“I think a lot of people read the papers and believed we were a bad team,” Padre leadoff hitter Bip Roberts said. “But we never believed it. And now we’re starting to prove it.”

The Padres, who have equalled the best in their franchise history after six games, are making sure they don’t make the same mistake of a year ago at this time.

It was after they swept the Giants at Candlestick Park in their first road series when the Padres started to pop off, saying that they just whipped the Giants, and now they’re going to do the same to the Reds, on their way to the division title.

Well, the Reds then swept them, and before the Padres knew it, there were team meetings, everyone was calling each other selfish, and they were out of the race before Memorial Day.

“It’s too early to start saying, ‘Hey, we’re in first place, we’re going to run away with it,’ ” Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn said. “We’re not going to say anything crazy like that.

“But we’re winning. And when you win, you build confidence. And when you build confidence, you start believing in yourself.

“And when you start believing in yourself, well, that’s when anything can happen.”

Actually, this proved to the the Padres’ worst-hitting game of the season, obtaining only seven hits in 36 at-bats, but with the way the Padres were pitching, and the way the Dodgers were playing defense, it hardly mattered.

Padre starter Ed Whitson, after giving up a two-run homer to Juan Samuel in the first inning, and a bad-hop single to Darryl Strawberry later in the inning, retired the next 17 batters before leaving the game in the seventh. Still, it looked like Whitson’s effort might be for naught, considering that the Padres still trailed, 2-1, entering the seventh inning.

But along came the Dodgers’ defense to the rescue.

Garry Templeton, starting at third base for the first time in his career, opened the inning with a ground ball to first baseman Stan Javier, who booted it away. Shawn Abner was unable to advance to Templeton to second on his bunt, but that was OK. Dodger starter Mike Morgan, trying to keep Abner close to first, threw wildly past Javier on a pickoff attempt, allowing Abner to reach third.

Mike Aldrete, batting for the first time since joining the Padres, popped up to shortstop Aldredo Griffin, for the second out of the inning. That brought up Roberts.

“I was saying how I was oh-for-three,” Roberts said, “but then Marty Barrett said, ‘Hey, forget what happened before. This is your money at-bat. This is what counts.’ ”

Roberts went to the plate, drew a full-count from Morgan, and hit a back-door slider deep into left field. Roberts knew he hit it well, but he also realized it wasn’t going to be over left fielder Kal Daniels’ head. Daniels backed up, raised his glove, the ball plopped in . . . and out.

Abner scored, and Roberts was standing on second with a double. Three pitches, later Fernandez slapped a single to center, scoring Roberts for what proved to be the game-winner.

Catcher Benito Santiago iced the game for the Padres in the eighth with a homer that reached the first row of the right-field seats, providing the Padres with a 5-2 lead. Craig Lefferts then relieved Pat Clements in the eighth, and pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings for the save.

“I’ve been saying all along that I was glad we were going to play the teams that were picked to win the division at the start,” Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said, “before they could get their momentum going or establish their pitching. In a month, you’ll see a different Dodger team, Giant team and Reds.

“We just wanted to get our licks in when we can, but I’ll tell you, we’re sky-high right now.”