Padres Win on Gaffe by Dodgers : Baseball: Clark scores go-ahead run when Dodgers forget to call time.

Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn’s realizes his swollen left knee could end his season. He can barely walk without pain these days, much less run, and he will visit doctors today.

But in what will go down as one of the most bizarre plays in Padre history, Gwynn’s mere presence Thursday caused the Dodgers to self-destruct and allow the Padres to steal a 3-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.

Gwynn popped out of the dugout to appear as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, so Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser and rookie catcher Mike Piazza decided to huddle. One problem: Nobody called timeout.

Without a Dodger within 60 feet of home plate, Jerald Clark raced home with the go-ahead run.

It officially went down as a stolen base, the first time since Aug. 4, 1984, that a Padre has stolen home.

But in a season in which the Dodgers have made a major-league high 152 errors--including two Thursday--there was never a more embarrassing blunder than this one. It was even more bizarre than the July game in which the Padres beat the Dodgers on a run that scored when catcher Mike Scioscia tried to corral an elusive pitch with his mask.

The folly Thursday allowed the Padres (75-64) to slip past the reeling Cincinnati Reds into second place for the first time since June 10. But they remain nine games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves, who reduced their magic number to 15.

The game was tied at 1 in the seventh when Clark hit a single to right field and went to third on Hershiser’s errant pickoff attempt. Tim Teufel then grounded out.

With pitcher Jim Deshaies due up, Padre Manager Greg Riddoch brought Gwynn off the bench as a pinch-hitter. Hershiser, deciding whether or not to intentionally walk Gwynn, summoned Piazza.

But no one called time. Clark cast a knowing glance to Padre third-base coach Bruce Kimm and took off running. Hershiser turned around only when he became startled by the crowd of 17,377. He saw Clark sprinting toward home and started to throw the ball, only to realize no one was covering.

“I just didn’t see anybody call timeout,” Clark said. “I said, ‘The worst thing that could happen if they called timeout was they’d just send me back.’

“So there was no harm done.

“I really wasn’t taking a chance of getting thrown out, because there was nobody there.”

Hershiser and Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda immediately rushed umpire Joe West to voice their complaints, but they knew there was no valid argument.

“I turned around, and thought I called timeout and ran out,” Piazza said. “It was a very big mistake. Orel pitched a heck of a game, and I feel like crap. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but I guarantee I’ll call timeout from now on.”

Said Hershiser, who allowed only five hits one earned run in eight innings: “It’s a good time to learn something like that. He’ll never make that mistake again.”

Deshaies (4-4), taking advantage of the opportunity, allowed only five hits in eight innings for the victory. Randy Myers pitched the ninth for his 33rd save, and 20th in the last 21 opportunities.

Clark also made sure there would be no-last inning heroics by the Dodgers with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly off reliever Jay Howell that scored catcher Benito Santiago from third.

The Padres don’t downplay the importance of the Dodgers’ charity. After all, finishing in second place is worth about $10,000 per man, compared to $3,000 for finishing in third.

Finishing in second place also is expected to ensure Riddoch’s return for 1993. Although there have been no hints offered about Riddoch’s future, a source close to Padre management said Riddoch will be retained unless General Manager Joe McIlvaine has a change of heart the final three weeks.

Yet, the usual suspense for Padres fans of watching whether or not Gwynn can win the batting race might be over.

Gwynn, who has not played the last two games, is scheduled to have his ailing left knee examined today at Scripps Clinic. He fears that he might have ligament or cartilage damage.

“I don’t know if it’s cartilage, a ligament or a sprain,” Gwynn said, “but it hurts. I can’t run worth a nickel.

Triple Crown Watch

* Batting Average

Gary Sheffield, Padres: .331

Andy Van Slyke, Pittsburgh: .330

John Kruk, Philadelphia: .322

* Home Runs

Fred McGriff, Padres: 34

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 30

Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh: 28

* Runs Batted In

Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: 95

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 93

Terry Pendelton, Braves: 93

Fred McGriff, Padres: 92