Padres Pull Out a Zany Victory

Don’t ask the Padres to explain this one. Don’t even ask them to remember it. They don’t have the slightest idea how they beat the Montreal Expos, 6-5, in 13 innings Saturday afternoon.

In one of the zaniest games in recent Padre history, they came away with a victory that left them hugging each other, consoling each other and believing in each other more than ever.

“I’ve seen some weird stuff before,” said Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, who drove in the game-winning run, “but this was weird. This was real weird. This was very weird. Man, was this weird.”

Judge for yourself:

- Padre Manager Greg Riddoch, committing perhaps the biggest faux pax of his major league career, bungled a double-switch that left All-Star catcher Benito Santiago playing left field for the first time since junior high school.

- The Padres left only four runners on base--none after the third inning--compared to 15 for Montreal.

- The bottom five hitters in the Padre lineup went 0-for-22, failing to hit the ball out of the infield 16 times. The only baserunner those lineup slots generated was erased when he was thrown out stealing.

- --Padre starter Eric Nolte retired only one batter.

- The Padres had one botched suicide squeeze, one player was thrown out on a steal attempt at first base, and another was thrown out trying to steal third with one out in the 12th inning.

But after 4 hours 24 minutes, the Padres won to remain tied for first with a 13-11 record.

“I don’t know how we did it,” Gwynn said, “I really don’t. But we’ll take it.”

Perhaps the first place to look for any sanity is the bullpen. After Nolte was lifted from the game, surrendering three hits and three runs in what likely could be his last start as a Padre, the bullpen came to the rescue. They allowed only one earned run the next 12 2/3 innings, avoiding threats in virtually every inning.

The Expos were hitless in 15 opportunities with runners in scoring position after the first inning. They had a chance to win the game seven times beginning in the eighth inning, failing each time to hit even a single.

“There were a lot of screwy things happening out there, weren’t there,” said Expo Manager Buck Rodgers.

Riddoch, angry with himself over his lineup boo-boo, would agree.

It happened in the ninth inning. Larry Andersen, the fourth Padre reliever, opened the inning by walking Tim Wallach. Riddoch lifted Andersen but decided to make a routine double-switch.

He walked toward the plate and told home plate umpire Mike Winters that Craig Lefferts was entering the game, and he would be switching catchers. Winters, seeing that No. 8 hitter Shawn Abner had made the last out, asked if Santiago would be replacing Abner in the order. Riddoch mistakenly said, “Yes.”

Riddoch went back to the bench, and Winters began staring curiously at the lineup card. He walked over to Lampkin, who was warming up Lefferts while Santiago was putting on his catching gear, and said: “You’re still in. I guess you’re going to left field.”

Said Lampkin: “That’s when I knew something strange was going on. Something wasn’t right. I told him I was out of the game.”

Winters then walked toward the bench, summoned Riddoch and said, “I think we have a little problem here.”

Winters: “You have to keep both catchers in the game.”

Riddoch: “No I don’t.”

Winters: “You just took out Abner.”

Riddoch: “What?”

The umpires huddled with Riddoch and Jim Snyder, Padre bench coach, saying the Padres had no choice but to leave Santiago and Lampkin in the game.

“I screwed up, what can I say?” Riddoch said.

The coaches then huddled and decided Santiago would play left field.

“It was still OK,” Riddoch said, “because Benny played four years in left field.”

Actually, the only time Sanitago didn’t catch during his eight-year professional career was a couple of games in 1985 when he played first base and third base in double-A Beaumont, Texas. And he was a shortstop and pitcher growing up in Puerto Rico.

Asked if he’d ever played the outfield, Santiago said, “Yes. Maybe when I was 13 or 14.”

So out came Santiago, borrowing Jerald Clark’s glove and nodding his head when center fielder Darrin Jackson yelled out, ‘We’re playing the hitter straight up.”

Said Expo outfielder Ivan Calderon, Santiago’s close friend who came to Montreal from the American League in an off-season trade: “I couldn’t believe it. It’s strange for me, coming over to the American League anyway, but when I saw that, I really thought this league was bizarre.”

Said Santiago: “Hey, I loved it. It was the first time I got play out of my shin guards and gear.”

When the Padres grabbed the lead in the top of the 11th inning on Fred McGriff’s solo homer, Riddoch pulled Santiago and replaced him with Bip Roberts.

It immediately paid dividends. Marquis Grissom led off the 11th with a line drive that Roberts caught against the wall. Calderon followed with another blast to left field, only Roberts had no chance on this one. It sailed into the stands for a home run, and the game went on for two more innings.

Roberts led off the 13th with a single, advanced on Tony Fernandez’s sacrifice and scored on Gwynn’s third RBI of the game.

Rich Rodriguez--the sixth Padre pitcher--thwarted a Montreal threat in the 13th.

“What a great game,” Lefferts said. “What it came down to is perseverance, and winning a game like this builds a whole lot of confidence.”

Really, the only Padre who couldn’t enjoy the victory was Nolte, who could be dumped off the roster when Greg Harris returns, possibly Wednesday. Nolte (3-1) has a 9.78 ERA, having allowed 10 hits and 11 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings over his last two starts.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do with him,” Riddoch said, “I really don’t. I feel terrible for him.”

Later, Riddoch, emotionally exhausted, was was offered a plate of dinner by the clubhouse attendant.

“I don’t have an appetite right now,” he said. “I mean, how many more of these games are we going to have?”