Padres Play Long Ball to Beat the Giants : Baseball: Sheffield, Jackson and Clark homer in the Padres’ 7-5 victory over San Francisco.

It has to happen sometime, right? Commissioner Fay Vincent is being blamed for everything else in baseball, so he might as well take responsibility for the Padres.

This isn’t just the Tribune Company complaining, but the entire National League.

Forget realignment, it’s time that someone puts a halt to inter-league play after the Padres’ 7-5 victory Monday over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park.

The truth, the Padres finally confessed, is that they are an American League team who happens to be playing in the National League.

“We don’t have a lot of speed, and we don’t do too much running,” Padre first baseman Fred McGriff said. “We just kind of sit back and wait for that homer.

“Really, it’s about the way every team plays in the American League.

“But over here, well, people just aren’t used to it.

“You’re not supposed to do that in this league.”

The Padres, proving that it doesn’t matter who there pitcher is on nights like these, hit three home runs that accounted for all of their offense before a crowd of 9,982.

The Padres, who are 32-6 this season when they hit at least two homers in a game, had three homers before the fourth inning was over. They now have 128 for the season.

Gary Sheffield, Darrin Jackson and Jerald Clark provided the offense on this night.

There was Sheffield hitting a solo homer in the first inning for his 30th of the season, joining McGriff as the first Padre teammates to hit 30 homers in the same season.

There was Jackson’s two-run homer in the second inning. It was his 17th of the season and gave him a career-high 66 RBIs. If he hits three more homers, the Padres will have three 20-home run hitters for the first time since 1970.

And there was Clark, who hit his first career grand slam in the fourth inning. He put the game away before Candlestick got cold.

“Even when you’re not even pitching, it’s exciting to sit on the bench and watch these guys,” said Padre starter Frank Seminara, 7-3, who yielded five hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings. “It’s like a home run show every night.”

Said Padre Manager Greg Riddoch: “The home run has played a very important part in everything we’ve done this year, and that’s not going to change.”

It has been crucial for the Padres, who trail the Atlanta Braves by seven games in the NL West. The Padres have hit 11 home runs during their five-game winning streak. They have 43 homers in their last 30 games.

“I kind of like these three-homer games,” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. “You don’t see it much in this league. Most of the others team rely on speed, but no one’s matching us with power.”

Giants starter Buddy Black became the latest home run victim. He left the game after three innings, yielding a solo homer, two-run homer and grand slam.

Game, set and match.

The onslaught started in the first inning by . . .

Gary Sheffield, who has been battering the Giant pitching staff all season, once again teed off.

Sheffield hit a two-out, solo homer over the left-field fence in the first inning. It was seventh homer of the season against the Giants, the most by a Giants opponent since Dale Murphy hit 11 homers in 1983.

“I can’t really explain it,” said Sheffield. “It’s not like I enjoy coming here. But I sure see the ball well.”

Sheffield was two for three before leaving in the sixth inning to rest his strained hamstring. He raised his batting average to a league-high .335, and trails Philadelphia’s Darren Daulton by two RBIs (95-93) and McGriff by two homers (34-30) in his triple crown pursuit.

In the second inning, it was Jackson’s turn. After catcher Benito Santiago led off with a check-swing single to center field, Jackson homered on a 2-and-0 pitch.

“I’m trying to keep up with Freddie (McGriff) and Sheff,” Jackson said, “but with those guys, it’s impossible.”

After a scoreless third inning, Black hung around in the fourth inning long enough for the Padres to put him and the game away.

McGriff opened the inning with a single to right. Santiago walked, and Jackson followed with a single up the middle, loading the bases.

That brought up Clark, who practically ran to the plate before Giants Manager Roger Craig could yank his pitcher.

Three pitches later, Clark hit his first grand slam since he was playing for triple-A Las Vegas.

It gave the Padres a 7-0 lead, and although the Padres would hit two singles the rest of the game, the only question was whether the Giants would get a hit.

Seminara didn’t allow a baserunner until he walked Darren Lewis in the fourth inning, and Matt Williams finally hit a single in the fifth. Robby Thompson followed with another single, and before Seminara knew it, the Giants had one run across the plate, with one out, and the bases loaded.

Seminara was one pitch away from forcing in a run when he reached a full-count on Lewis. He managed to induce a ground ball to second baseman Tim Teufel for the second out, which also scored a run.

Royce Clayton, needing only a single to make things rather interesting, hit a line shot up the middle that hit Seminara in his rib cage. He recovered and threw to first for the out.

Seminara surrendered a leadoff homer to Will Clark in the fifth, and after yielding a one-out single to Matt Williams, Riddoch rescued him. Mike Maddux kept the Giants in check the next 2 1/3 innings before yielding a two-run homer to Thompson, and Jeremy Hernandez pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save.

Just like that, the Giants had lost 12 of their last 13 games.

“It’s been a long season,” Giants first baseman Will Clark said, “and when you’re playing these guys, it seems even longer.”

Triple Crown Watch

Batting Average

Gary Sheffield, Padres: .335

Andy Van Slyke, Pittsburgh: .329

John Kruk, Philadelphia: .324

Home Runs

Fred McGriff, Padres: 34

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 30

Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh: 27

Runs Batted In

Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: 95

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 93

Fred McGriff, Padres: 91