NOTEBOOK : PADRES UPDATE : Gwynn Calls His Game-Winner

This predicting business has become crazy. Certainly, it’s silly. But once again, Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn found himself calling another home run.

Only this time, he was predicting his own.

Gwynn, who has been listening to his teammates predict home runs, and calling homers for those who don’t, found himself hitting the game-winning home run Monday in the Padres’ 7-5, 10-inning victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I’m the last guy anyone expects to hit a home run,” Gwynn said, who hit his fourth of the season, and first since Aug. 3. “I still can’t believe it. My swing’s gone right down the toilet the last two weeks, so never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d hit a home run tonight.”

Considering Gwynn’s home run was on an 0-and-two-pitch off Bob Kipper, can he recall the last time he hit a homer in that situation.

“Never, absoulutely never,” Gwynn said. “Can you believe it?”

Yes, that was Padre bullpen stopper Craig Lefferts who shut down the Pirates in the final two innings Monday for his first victory of the season. Lefferts, who had blown seven games this season and had a 4.94 ERA, retired six of the seven batters he faced.

“I couldn’t have thrown the ball any better,” Lefferts said. “I can’t remember the last time I felt so good.”

Lefferts, who had worked the past two days with Mike Roarke, Padre pitching coach, to work out flaws in his delivery, believes he might be back as good as ever.

“What a difference,” he said. “I just want to keep it going.”

It was a moment Padre left fielder Kevin Ward will treasure forever. He has hit plenty of homers in his 8 1/2-year career in the minors, but his homer into the left-field seats in the second inning Tuesday was the first of his major-league career.

Somehow, he even got the ball for a souvenir.

Padre starter Dennis Rasmussen went into the stands to ask for the keepsake, which was duly promised. Of course, it’ll also cost Rasmussen and Ward 12 autographed baseballs in return.

The Padres called up reliever Derek Lilliquist to take Larry Andersen’s spot on the team. Lilliquist was 4-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 33 games at triple-A Las Vegas. . . . Padre second baseman Bip Roberts, who underwent arthroscopic surgery last week to repair cartilage in his knee, joined the team in Pittsburgh.