Wild Win Stops Padre Slide

The Padres’ wild 8-7 victory Wednesday night over the New York Mets had just ended. Reporters scurried into the clubhouse to interview Fred McGriff about his homer, Tony Gwynn about his dramatic catches, and Larry Andersen about, well, whatever was on his mind.

The doors opened, and voila! The Shea Stadium clubhouse was like a ghost town. Where in the world was everyone?

In an adjacent room, across from the trainers’ table, the players were huddled in front of a TV set, watching the Texas Rangers-Toronto Blue Jays game.

Forgotten for a moment were the Padres’ dramatic victory, the end to their four-game losing streak and their impending flight to Montreal.

Earlier in the day, the Padres watched Rickey Henderson make history by stealing his record-setting 939th base. Now, they watched Nolan Ryan, a living legend, trying for his seventh no-hitter, and his last obstacle was former Padre Roberto Alomar.

Alomar swung and missed for strike three, the players erupted in cheers, and when they walked out of the room, they almost forgot that they had reason to celebrate themselves.

“What’s the greatest thrill there?” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. “What do you think was more exciting, Nolan Ryan’s no-hitter, Rickey Henderson’s steal, or our 8-7 win?”

Hmmm.

“Come on, it was us winning, right?” he said.

Uh, right.

The Padres, who entered the game batting .175 during their four-game skid, snapped out of their slumber against an unlikely victim--Frank Viola.

Viola was 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in April, averaging nearly eight innings in his first four starts. But the Padres more than twice the runs against Viola in three successive innings than he allowed the entire season.

The Padres, who trailed 3-0 entering the fifth inning, scored more runs (eight) in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings than they scored in their three previous games combined. In fact, when they went ahead in the sixth inning, it marked the first time in 38 innings that they had a lead.

“We freaked out tonight,” said Andersen, who helped bail starter Bruce Hurst (3-0) out of a jam in the eighth inning.

It was McGriff, more than anyone else, who was responsible for pulling the Padres out of the doldrums. Considering he was the only Padre who has not been submerged into a slump of late, it seemed only appropriate.

McGriff stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning and sent Viola’s fastball soaring over the outfield wall, and leaving the Met relievers scurrying for cover in the bullpen. The ball short-hopped the outer bullpen fence about 426 feet from home plate, and about three feet short of the parking lot.

“I told you guys I’d be all right,” said McGriff, who’s batting .338 with an eight-game hitting streak. “I knew it would be just a matter of time. I’m just getting started.”

The ball probably never got higher than 30 feet into the air, but it looked like a missile being launched.

“I hit it good,” McGriff said of his third homer of the season. “It’s nothing like my homer at Yankee Stadium, but I’ll take it.”

Certainly, the homer appeared to rattle Viola. He walked left fielder Darrin Jackson, and catcher Rick Cerone allowed what could have been a harmless passed ball. After Viola induced Garry Templeton and Shawn Abner to hit fly balls, he faced Hurst.

Hurst, who has a career .083 batting average, calmly slapped a single to center, scoring Jackson for only the second RBI of Hurst’s career.

“Anytime that happens,” Hurst said, “it’s an accident. “I’m just swinging and hoping I hit something.”

The Padres scored three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by Jackson’s suicide squeeze, and then in the seventh, had to be restrained from bursting out laughing watching the Mets.

In what surely must be one of the most bizarre innings in Met history, they committed four errors, allowing three more runs. Shortstop Tony Fernandez was most responsible for the Met follies.

With Fernandez at third and Gwynn on first, Benito Santiago hit a one-hopper to third baseman Howard Johnson. Fernandez broke for home, and was caught in a rundown. He was trapped about halfway between third and home when Cerone ran over to apply the tag. But instead of just tagging him, Cerone and Fernandez collided.

Big mistake.

Fernandez jolted Cerone’s arm, the ball came loose, and both players fell to the ground. Fernandez quickly picked himself up, and ran for home. Johnson threw the ball to pitcher Jeff Innis at home, and Fernandez slid in safely, kicking the ball away.

One run, two errors, and a whole lot of embarrassment.

The Padres hung on for dear life in the eighth and ninth innings, and then wondered aloud what kind of position they’d be if not for Gwynn’s two marvelous catches earlier in the game.

He robbed Dave Magadan of at least a double in the first inning when he jumped against the outfield wall and snared Magadan’s line drive. And in the fifth inning, he probably robbed the Mets of the game.

The Mets, leading 3-2, had two runners aboard when Hubie Brooks hit a line drive to right field. The crowd of 19,952 rose from their seats anticipating the homer, but Gwynn went to the fence, jumped and pulled the ball out of the air as it cleared the fence.

“I had nightmares of the Eddie Murray play,” Gwynn said, of the ball that he batted over the fence with his glove two weeks ago. “I just wanted to make sure I got to the wall, and then I slammed my ribs against the wall. The wall’s supposed to be padded, but I guess not up there.”

The Padres also learned after the game they will soon receive some help for their beleaguered bullpen. Left-handed reliever Steve Rosenberg will be recalled from triple-A Las Vegas, with Pat Clements (tendinitis in his left shoulder) going to the disabled list, retroactive to April 25. Clements was sent to San Diego and will examined today by Dr. Jan. Fronek.

“We’ll try to get it right this time,” McIlvaine said, after twice being thwarted in his attempts to recall Rosenberg. “Three’s a charm.” PADRES AT A GLANCE Scorecard

THIRD INNING

Mets--Cerone led off and singled to center. Elster singled to right, Cerone stopping at second. Viola flied to right. Coleman singled to center, loading the bases. Herr singled to left, Cerone and Elster scoring, Coleman taking third, Herr taking second on left fielder Jackson’s throwing error. Magadan was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Brooks flied to center, Coleman scoring. Johnson grounded to second. Three runs, four hits, one error, two left. Mets 3, Padres 0.

FIFTH INNING

Padres--McGriff led off and homered to right, his third. Jackson walked. Jackson took second on Cerone’s passed ball. Templeton flied to right. Abner flied to center. Hurst singled to center, Jackson scoring. Roberts struck out. Two runs, two hits, one left. Mets 3, Padres 2.

SIXTH INNING

Padres--With one out, Gwynn singled to left. Santiago walked. McGriff singled to right, Gwynn scoring, Santiago taking third. Jackson suicide-squeezed, Santiago scoring, McGriff taking second. Templeton singled to left, McGriff scoring, Templeton taking second on left fielder McReynold’s throw. Abner was intentionally walked. Hurst walked, loading the bases. Roberts grounded to second. Three runs, three hits, three left. Padres 5, Mets 3.

SEVENTH INNING

Padres--Fernandez singled to center. Gwynn reached first on bunt single, Fernandez taking third on pitcher Viola’s error. Innis replaced Viola. Santiago bounced into fielder’s choice, Fernandez scoring on catcher Cerone’s fielding error, Gwynn taking third, Santiago taking second on third baseman Johnson’s throwing error. McGriff singled to right, Gwynn scoring, Santiago stopping at third, McGriff stopping at second. Templeton hit into fielder’s choice, Santiago scoring on shortstop Miller’s throwing error, McGriff taking third, Templeton taking second. Abner was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Hurst struck out. Faries flied to right. Three runs (unearned), three hits, four errors, three left. Padres 8, Mets. 3.

EIGHTH INNING

Mets--Magadan led off and singled to left-center. Brooks lined to shortstop. Johnson hit into fielder’s choice, Magadan forced at second. McReynolds singled to center, Johnson stopping at second. Cerone doubled to left-center, Johnson and McReynolds scoring. Andersen replaced Hurst. Carreon flied to center. Two runs, three hits, one left. Padres 8, Mets 5.

NINTH INNING

Mets--Boston led off and doubled to right. Lefferts relieved Andersen. Coleman singled to center, Boston scoring. Lefferts threw wild pitch, Coleman taking second. Herr grounded to second. Coleman stole third. Magadan grounded to second, Coleman scoring. Brooks lined to shortstop. Two runs, two hits. Padres 8, Mets 7.