Jackson Fills Need for Power As Padres Roll Past Cardinals : Baseball: Center fielder gets double, homer, four RBIs in 10-0 victory.

When Padre first baseman Fred McGriff strolled into the clubhouse Sunday morning, he heard the voice yelling across the room.

“Hey, Freddie, you don’t have to worry about any protection now.

“Freddie, you’re going to start seeing all fastballs.

“Freddie, you’ve got a real power-hitter behind you now.”

Padre center fielder Darrin Jackson wouldn’t stop. He then walked over to McGriff’s locker and told him that instead of worrying about Benito Santiago being out for a month with a broken finger, McGriff should be grateful that Jackson was around to bat fifth in the order.

McGriff just smiled, and told Jackson that although he had six homers, he didn’t have Santiago’s power reputation.

Jackson vowed that would soon change, and a few hours later in the Padres’ 10-0 romp over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, he had believers.

Jackson, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games, drove in four runs in the first two innings. He smacked a two-run double off Cardinal starter Rheal Cormier in the first inning, and greeted reliever Juan Agosto with a two-run homer in the second inning. And suddenly, the Padres found someone that may ease the burden imposed by Santiago’s injury.

“We’re putting some weight on DJ’s shoulders,” Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn said. “We’re asking him to pick up the slack. But he’s the type of hitter that thrives in pressure.

“And if today’s any indication, we may keep on going without missing a beat.”

Indeed, if the Padres (28-22) are to remain in first place in the National League West race during Santiago’s absence, there may be no one more vital to their offensive success than Jackson. He’ll be the one most often filling in at the No. 5 slot in the lineup, and considering that McGriff may be the premier power-hitter in the National League, Jackson knows he’ll be tested frequently.

“I know guys aren’t really sure about me coming in with the big hits,” said Jackson, who’s batting .247 with 25 RBIs--one more than Santiago. “They know I can drive the ball. They know I can hit for power. But to come in with pressure situations, they don’t know if they can count on me.

“I know I’ve never been a big RBI guy, but I’ve also never been in the heart of the lineup either. I just want to let Freddie know that he doesn’t have to do the job every time. I’ll be there to pick him up, too.”

Is McGriff convinced?

“Let’s wait to see what happens when he faces a right-hander,” McGriff said, smiling. “I know I need a 5-hitter behind me. Hopefully, DJ’s the guy. We’ll have to see what happens.”

There was no doubt about Jackson’s offensive prowess Sunday, helping the Padres blow open the game before Padre starter Greg Harris (2-4) took the mound in the second inning. They scored three runs in the first inning, scored a season-high seven runs in the second, and had eight extra-base hits by the third inning. Their five doubles in the first three innings were only one shy of the franchise record, and it hardly mattered that the last 20 batters were retired in order.

They teed off on Cormier (0-5) for seven runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings, and by the time the game ended, the Cardinals announced that Cormier was being sent back to the minors.

“I kind of had a feeling that was going to happen,” said Gwynn, who was one hit shy of earning a spot in the Padre record books.

Gwynn, who raised his batting average to .367, hit a single in the first inning, a triple in the second inning, and a double in the third. Just like that, he was a home run away from becoming the first Padre to hit for the cycle.

Did the thought cross his mind?

“No doubt about it,” Gwynn said. “Believe me, the thought was there right away. I’m sure people would love to fill that column in the Padre record book, but I just couldn’t do it.”

Instead, Gwynn grounded to second in his next at-bat in the seventh inning. He was due up again in the ninth, but he sacrificed his chance at history by allowing Kevin Ward to replace him.

The most suspenseful moment of the game, however, occurred in the second inning. It happened in the Padre dugout, not on the field.

Harris, plagued by back spasms, was in obvious pain during the first inning. When he came off the field after the inning, Padre Manager Greg Riddoch and pitching coach Mike Roarke huddled with him and discussed taking him out of the game. Harris talked his way into hitting in the second inning, but after swinging at a pitch, he squirmed in pain.

That was it. Riddoch called the bullpen and ordered Rich Rodriguez to start warming up. When Rodriguez finished, he came into the dugout and watched in delight while the Padres kept scoring run after run.

“I was thinking, ‘This is great,’ ” Rodriguez said. “What an easy win. I’ll just go three or four innings, get out of there, and grab the ‘W.’

“But there was another guy ahead of me who had already thought of that.”

While Rodriguez stepped into the on-deck circle, ready to pinch-hit for Harris, he looked over his shoulder and saw the heated argument. Harris was adamant that his back was still good enough to pitch, and considering that four of his leads have been blown this year, he wasn’t about to walk away from a 10-0 lead. Rodriguez was called back to the bench.

“That might have been the best battle of the day right there,” said Gwynn, “seeing whether Harry (Harris) could talk his way into pitching five innings. I’ll tell you, he was in there battling. He saw that 10-run lead, and he wanted that ‘W’ ”.

Harris, who never lifted the bat from his shoulder in his next two plate appearances, and pitching no harder than 77 m.p.h., somehow managed to fool the Cardinals for five innings. They obtained only two hits off Harris, and never got another the remainder of the game.