Melendez Victorious in Debut : Baseball: In first major-league start, he stifles Houston over eight innings in a 5-4 Padres victory.

SAN DIEGO — Not even Ted Giannoulas, a.k.a. the Famous Chicken, who was making his 1991 baseball debut in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, could have concocted a script as twisted as the Padres managed here Friday before beating the Houston Astros, 5-4.

To review:

Pitcher Wes Gardner rejected a demotion to triple-A, instead forcing the team to release him. General Manager Joe McIlvaine completed a trade that sent backup shortstop Garry Templeton to the New York Mets for utility man Tim Teufel. Benito Santiago pouted about being benched by Manager Greg Riddoch for lack of hustle on a play in Thursday’s game. Tony Fernandez got into a shouting match with first base coach Rob Picciolo before the game.

And Jose Melendez, who arrived here Thursday night from triple-A Las Vegas, won his first major-league game in his first major-league start.

Not only that, Melendez allowed only two hits in eight innings in front of 17,749 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth.

Considering all that was happening around Melendez in his first day in a Padre uniform, it truly was remarkable, even moreso considering he allowed those hits to the first two Astros he faced.

After those initial two batters, Melendez retired 24 of the next 28 batters with the only base runners reaching on two walks and two errors.

“I’m happy,” said Melendez, 25, a native of Puerto Rico. “I felt good. I don’t get nervous. You get nervous, you can’t throw up here.”

Said Tom Lampkin, who was making only his fifth start at catcher this season for the Padres, “He had great command of all his pitches all night long. I don’t think he was any different in the eighth than he was in the first.”

Melendez, who was 7-0 in nine starts for Las Vegas, was called up because Ed Whitson was unable to make his scheduled start because of elbow tendinitis.

Padre reliever Craig Lefferts pitched the ninth and picked up his 11th save of the season, but not before allowing an infield single to pinch-hitter Gerald Young and a two-run home run to Ken Caminiti.

It marked the second time this week Lefferts has given up ninth-inning runs. Against Atlanta on Tuesday, Lefferts gave up three runs as the Braves rallied for an 8-6 victory.

Two batters and nine pitches into his first National League game, Melendez, who was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on March 26, trailed, 1-0. Two batters and seven pitches later, it was 2-0.

Left-handed hitting Steve Finley led off the game with a ground single to center on Melendez’ sixth pitch. Then after a ball and a strike, Craig Biggio lined a single that fell in front of Tony Gwynn. With Finley running on the pitch and attempting to take third on the hit, Gwynn came up thowing.

Problem was, Gwynn’s throw, slightly off line, short-hopped rookie third baseman Scott Coolbaugh and then got by Melendez, who was backing up the play.

With the ball now in the Astros’ dugout, Finley scored and Biggio took second.

After Ken Oberkfell moved Biggio to third with a grounder to second, Luis Gonzalez drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center.

Gwynn, a four-time Gold Glove winner, was charged with his first error of the season.

The Padres (24-25) tied the game in the bottom of the second. Thomas Howard came about as close as you can to hitting a home run without actually hitting one, his liner hitting off the top of the temporary fence in left field and bouncing up and into the glove of Astro left fielder Gonzalez, whose throw to second was not in time to get Howard.

No homer, no matter. Next batter Coolbaugh deposited a Mark Portugal pitch over the center field fence, breaking a personal 0-for-12 streak and 4-for-37 slump with his second home run of the season.

In the fifth, Melendez collected his first major-league hit, lining a single to right. Bip Roberts also singled and Fernandez walked to load the bases.

After Gwynn forced Melendez at home with a weak grounder to first, Roberts scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball by Biggio.

It was that kind of day.