Padres See Good, Bad on Trip

It was a trip that was exasperating at times, and exhilarating at times.

“It’s been crazy,” Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn said, “but it’s over. That’s the bottom line. We’re going home.”

The Padres, who beat the Montreal Expos, 6-3, Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 15,397 at Olympic Stadium, finished their exhausting trip 6-6, remaining tied for first place at 14-11.

“This being the longest road trip of the year, and a four-game losing streak being mixed in that,” Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said, “we’re thrilled to death. We left being in first place and three games above .500, and we return tied for first place, three games above .500.

“We feel blessed.”

Said Padre reliever Larry Andersen: “You leave San Francisco and earthquake country, you fly through tornadoes, you get east, and . . . you end up in a place where you feel like you’re in a different country, and you come out relatively unscathed.”

It was a 14-day, 12-city trip that seemed to bring out just about everything, and anything.

In one game, Padre starter Greg Harris lasted one pitch. And in another, Padre starter Eric Nolte lasted one batter. And the Padres won both games.

In another, there was a triple play by the Phillies, a botched bunt attempt that almost fractured second Marty Barrett’s nose, and a pitcher (Jason Grimsley), who had more wild pitches than every 24 major league teams, wining the game.

In another, the same one in which Giants second baseman Robbie Thompson hit for the cycle, Padre reliever Pat Clements injured his shoulder while batting , requiring a stint on the disabled list.

When the Padres came home Sunday, losing Harris and Clements to the disabled list with arm injuries, they had plenty about which to talk.

Fred McGriff brings back the most pleasant memories of anyone from his first extended National League trip. After going hitless in his first game in San Francisco, he tied his career record by hitting in the next 11 games, batting .409 with four home runs and nine RBIs.

“I’d have to say I had a pretty good time,” said McGriff, whose .341 batting average leads the Padres. “Today, was the best day we’ve had in a long time. We finally had an easy one.”

The Expos decided to help. Instead of starting veteran Dennis Martinez, the Expos offered left-handed rookie Brian Barnes, making his first start after a rehabilitation assignment.

It took three innings for the Padres to figure him out, but once they did, it resembled little more than batting practice.

Gwynn, who went .340 with nine RBIs during the trip, ignited the offense with one out in the fourth when he slapped a triple down the right-field line. Benito Santiago grounded out to third, but with the way McGriff has been swinging of late, it made little difference.

The Expos, using an exaggerated shift on McGriff, leaving left field wide open, paid the price when McGriff was jammed, but able to hit a ball down the left-field line. By the time left fielder Ivan Calderon, who was playing in center field, retrieved the ball, McGriff was standing at third with a triple. Center fielder Darrin Jackson fanned for the final out, but the Padres were just getting warmed up.

Third baseman Jim Presley opened the fifth with a home run to left field, snapping his zero-for-24 skid. Two outs later, Bip Roberts, starting in left field for the first time this season, singled to left. Tony Fernandez followed with a triple. Gwynn walked. And Santiago topped the attack with a three-run homer.

And just like that, the Padres had scored more runs for starter Ed Whitson in one inning than they had in their previous 24 innings while he was on the mound.

The only mistake Whitson made was being careless in the fifth, allowing consecutive walks with two outs, followed by a Marquis Grissom homer to left field. He allowed only one runner to reach second the rest of the game, finishing with a seven-hitter for the Padres’ first complete game this season.