Santiago Sparks Padres Past Cubs

Padre catcher Benito Santiago keeps awaiting the phone call. He knows the Padres are trying to trade him and want him gone by Monday’s trading deadline.

But the way Santiago figures it, as long as he’s around, he might as well show the Padres what they’ll be missing in the future.

Santiago hit two homers in a game for the first time in four years, propelling the Padres past the Chicago Cubs, 7-4, in front of 14,984 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Santiago, who last hit two homers in a game on Aug. 9, 1988, at Atlanta, has four homers in his last five starts. Perhaps the dozen scouts who attended the game will remember Santiago when he becomes a free agent in October.

“Everyone knows this is my first choice,” said Santiago, 27, “but it looks like they don’t want me. That’s OK. I’ll just go where I’m appreciated.

“I know this, I’m just getting better and better. Someone’s going to be getting me at the prime of my career.”

The Padres also were bolstered by another potential free agent who’s expected to be parting company at the end of the season. Randy Myers saved his career-high 15th consecutive game, giving him 28 for the season.

Myers, who pitched two hitless innings, has more saves in a single season than any Padre reliever with the exception of Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers and Cy Young Award winner Mark Davis.

Not bad company.

“I’m just doing my job,” Myers said. “It’s as simple as that. We’re winning, and that’s all that counts.”

The Padres’ victory snapped the Cubs’ five-game winning streak, leaving the Cubs 7 1/2 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League East. The Padres moved to within eight games of the Atlanta Braves in the NL West and remained 3 1/2 behind the second-place Cincinnati Reds.

The Cubs had a feeling it wouldn’t be their night when starter Mike Harkey was scratched from the game when he aggravated a right groin injury while warming up in the bullpen. They quickly searched for an emergency starter, and came up with Jeff Robinson, who had pitched an inning of relief Monday.

Robinson lasted only four innings and was victimized primarily by first baseman Fred McGriff, who hit a run-scoring double in the first inning and a solo homer in the fourth.

Padre starter Jim Deshaies pitched six shutout innings, allowing only four hits, when he ran into trouble in the seventh. He left the game with a 3-1 lead, but the bases were loaded with only one out.

Before he even had time to hit the showers, Deshaies grimly watched all of his hard work go to waste. After reliever Mike Maddux struck out pinch-hitter Dwight Smith on four pitches for the second out, Ryne Sandberg came to the plate.

He drilled a single past McGriff, scoring one run. Maddux then fell behind 3-and-0 to Mark Grace before Grace lined a double down the right-field line, scoring two runs for a 4-3 Cubs’ lead.

Santiago made sure the Padres’ effort wasn’t a washout.

Cubs reliever Ken Patterson opened the seventh by walking Darrin Jackson on five pitches. Three pitches later, he was looking over his right shoulder as Santiago belted his eighth homer of the season.

After Jerald Clark flied out to left for the first out, Kurt Stillwell singled to center, and Maddux sacrificed him to second. Patterson intentionally walked Tony Fernandez, and then was lifted from the game for left-handed reliever Chuck McElroy.

Padre Manager Greg Riddoch summoned right-handed hitter Kevin Ward, who was batting only .091 this season with runners in scoring position. But he hit a double down the left-field line for a 6-4 lead.

Just in case the Cubs had any illusions of a dramatic comeback in the ninth, Santiago squashed those thoughts in the bottom of the eighth.

McElroy, perhaps forgetting that Santiago homered off Patterson’s breaking ball in the previous inning, tried it again. Same pitch. Same spot. And his ninth homer of the year landed in almost the same location.

Santiago and Myers are the Padres’ high-profile potential free agents, but Deshaies was attracting considerable interest from scouts. Among those in attendance were representatives of the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, each of whom are looking for pitching help.

“We’ve talked with everyone, letting them know what’s available,” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, “and now we’re waiting. We’ll see if anything comes out of it.”

While the acquisition of Padre third baseman Gary Sheffield is considered the steal of the year, Deshaies has been one of McIlvaine’s finest heists.

Deshaies was released by Oakland in spring training, spent 10 days at the Kansas City Royals’ spring-training camp, went to the Milwaukee Brewers’ extended spring training and finally talked his way into a triple-A contract with the Las Vegas Stars.

Deshaies (3-3, 2.63 ERA), has been as responsible as anyone for keeping the Padres at least remotely in the National League West race these past two months. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his eight starts, never has allowed more than seven hits, and the four runs he yielded Tuesday were a season-high.

“I don’t know where we’d be without him,” Riddoch said. “He’s saved us.”