PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Roberts Says Left Field Lets Him Feel at Home

Bip Roberts, who has played solely at second base this season, was called on for a special assignment in the 11th inning of the Padres’ 6-5, 13-inning victory Saturday over the Montreal Expos. He was needed in left field, his primary position last year.

Roberts smiled, grabbed his outfield glove and ran into left field before anyone had a change of heart.

“I didn’t want to say it,” Roberts said, “but you know, it felt like I was back home again. It felt so good. But it’s like eating one potato chip, and you saying, ‘Man, that was good. But then you think, ‘Man, no more.’

“Tomorrow, I’m back at second base.”

How fulfilling was his brief outfield reprise?

“I felt so relaxed out there,” Roberts said, “it was unbelievable. It’s not like I had to concentrate like I do when I’m in the infield. I can just relax, and concentrate on my hitting.

“You know, maybe you guys were right. You can’t play there (at second) without losing something. I’ve been through so much. I’ve been struggling, mostly mental instead of physical.

“Man, I’m just glad it happened, even if it was for a day.”

Roberts, who was mired in a four-for-30 slump (.133) and is hitting .261, stroked a single in the 13th, was sacrificed to second and scored the game-winning run on Tony Gwynn’s single.

Considering Roberts’ aspirations to go back into the outfield, will he ask management if he can abandon second base?

“It depends on how the team’s doing,” Roberts said, “I’m not going to make no waves. You have to keep Jerald (Clark) in there. But I wouldn’t mind center field. I played center in college. And you know, I never had any trouble there.”

Hmm, since Shawn Abner is hitting .197, with four RBIs and only extra-base hits, do you suppose . . .

Stay tuned.

Ex-Padre player of the week award goes to Cleveland’s Chris James--with apologies to relief pitcher Goose Gossage of the Texas Rangers.

James had a record-setting Saturday. In the Indians’ 20-6 rout of the Oakland Athletics, he drove in nine runs with two homers and two singles, surpassing the club record for single-game RBIs.

By the way, James is being shopped around. In fact, Cleveland General Manager Hank Peters has been ordered by ownership not to provide any long-term contracts and to get rid of all players who will be over 30 years old by 1994.

Considered to be washed up in Japan, Gossage joined the Rangers as a non-roster player in spring training. One month into the season, and Gossage has allowed no runs in nione appearances covering 9 1/2 innings. He has struck out 10, walked four and allowed four hits.

More ex-Padres: Blue Jay second baseman Roberto Alomar has six sacrifice bunts this season. It might not seem like such a big deal, but consider that the Blue Jays had only 18 sacrifice bunts last season, the fewest in major league history.

Blue Jay right fielder Joe Carter, when a reporter commented that there was only one difficult play made during Ryan’s no-hitter: “When you strike out 16, how may difficult plays do you need?” . . . Carter has the second-longest consecutive-game streak in the major leagues at 367. Cal Ripken Jr. has the longest, 1,432 games.

Culture shock: Marvell Wynne of the Hanshin Tigers is batting .170 with one homer and six RBIs; and Eddie Williams is batting .164 with two homers and seven RBIs for Fukuoka Daier.

Exactly how long has Padre left fielder Mike Aldrete been in a slump? He has gone 217 days without a base hit, the last occurring Sept. 28, 1990, against the Philadelphia Phillies. . . . Padre left fielder Jerald Clark (strained calf) sat out of Saturday’s game, and also is expected to miss today’s game. He’s expected to return to the lineup Tuesday against Philadelphia. . . . The Padres will conclude their 12-game trip at 10:35 a.m. (PST) today.