Padres Sweep Astros Before Leaving Home

The Padres’ one regret after the game Sunday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium was that they had to bid goodby to the Houston Astros.

Whenever the Astros have come here in the past five seasons, the Padres have treated them rudely. With their 3-1 victory in front of 16,239 in the series finale, the Padres completed a four-game sweep and made it 33 out of 40 against the Astros here since 1987, including nine consecutive.

This was the first time the Padres swept a four-game series since June 20-23, 1985--they did it to the San Francisco Giants.

The Astros will be back in San Diego for five more games this season, but not until Aug. 12. That’s a long time for the Padres to wait.

This is especially true in view of the Padres’ inability to win at home against the rest of the league. Even after the big weekend they had at the Astros’ expense, the Padres’ home record is only 11-15.

Sunday’s winning pitcher, Adam Peterson, took note of the Padres’ dismal showing at home when he looked ahead to the seven-game trip to Chicago and Pittsburgh that will start Tuesday night.

“It’s back to road sweet home for us,” Peterson said. “Or is it home sweet road?”

The Padres’ 15-10 record on the road has kept them in contention in the National League West. Their overall record, 26-25, has them in third place, only three games behind the Dodgers.

Taking advantage of the Astros these days is no great feat. With ace pitcher Mike Scott out indefinitely and all of their other high-priced talent gone by trade or the free-agent route, the Astros are rebuilding.

Typical of the sad state in which the Astros find themselves is the record of Xavier Hernandez, who started Sunday. He was 0-5 with an earned run average of 6.47.

At that, Hernandez did a pretty decent job. He limited the Padres to four hits and three runs in six innings en route to defeat No. 6. Benito Santiago led the Padres with his sixth home run.

Hernandez’s big problem was that he was overmatched against Peterson, acquired by the Padres from the Chicago White Sox this spring.

Peterson pitched two-hit ball for six innings before being forced to leave because of slight soreness in his back. The only Astro he couldn’t fool was Steve Finley, who led off the game with a home run on a 3-2 pitch and added a single in the third inning.

Hitless relief efforts from Mike Maddux and Craig Lefferts help Peterson earn his second victory against one defeat and improved his major-league career record to 4-8.

Peterson was the second Padre to hold the Astros to two hits in this series, Jose Melendez having done it in his major league debut Friday night.

This bit of trivia led an embittered Astro who pleaded anonymity to remark, “I guarantee you that those guys didn’t pitch two-hitters in the PCL (Pacific Coast League).”

Nevertheless, none could deny that Peterson was impressive, and he was all smiles as reporters gathered around him afterward.

“I felt in control today,” he said. “Other times, I haven’t always been, and when I haven’t been, things have happened. When the first at-bat was a home run, it was like a flashback to that three-homer game against Atlanta.

“I tried to use all my pitches to keep the hitters off balance, and except for the first guy, I think I did. In the process, I learned a little bit.”

Asked about the one pitch he would like to have had back, Peterson said, “It was a fastball right there (down the middle). I think I could have fouled it off.”

Peterson hurt his back when he hit first awkwardly in running out a ground ball in the fourth. He yielded only a walk in the next two innings before being removed for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.

“He did a great job,” Manager Greg Riddoch said. “He has been a pleasant surprise, as have several other young players.”

The one-run deficit created by Finley’s home run lasted only until the second, when Santiago tied the score with a home run in left-center.

What turned out to be the winning run came home an inning later. Tony Fernandez walked, went to third on Tony Gwynn’s single and scored on Fred McGriff’s fielder’s choice, on which shortstop Eric Yelding dropped first baseman Jeff Bagwell’s throw to second base.

Gwynn made it 3-1 in the seventh with another single, which followed a walk to Shawn Abner and a sacrifice by Fernandez. Gwynn now ranks third in the league with 36 runs batted in, and with only 51 games played, he is halfway to his career high. Still, he doesn’t seem to be carried away by his sudden emergence as a run producer.

“People keep talking about my RBI, but I’m not that excited,” Gwynn said. “For every positive, there’s a negative, and mine is stolen bases.”

Gwynn did steal a base Sunday, but it was only his second of the year, and he once swiped as many as 56 in a season.

Abner was in the game in center field because Bip Roberts’ nagging back ailment forced him out after five innings. Roberts was in such pain afterward that he had trouble getting dressed.

“This is frustrating,” Roberts said. “I only know one way to play, and that’s all-out. When I feel like this, I can’t do it.”

In the Houston clubhouse, Manager Art Howe somehow managed a smile.

“I have to stay upbeat,” he said. “It’s important for me to do that with all these young kids. I can’t let them see me get down.” Padre Attendance

Sunday 16,239

1991 after 26 dates 662,756

1990 after 26 dates 669,885

Decrease 7,129

Average 25,481