Padres’ Rally Beats Dodgers in the 13th, 4-3

You would have thought that an inside-the-park home run by Mitch Webster and five strong innings of relief would be an omen that the Dodgers were on their way to their second consecutive comeback victory.

But it didn’t turn out that way. After Webster scored the go-ahead run in the 13th inning, the Padres came back in the bottom of the inning and scored two runs off Rudy Seanez to win, 4-3, Tuesday night at Jack Murphy Stadium.

The Padres scored their winning run on a pinch-hit single to right by Brian Johnson, after tying the game on a single by Tony Gwynn that scored Craig Shipley, who had tripled.

“We had the advantage but the game isn’t over until you get the last three outs,” Tim Wallach said. “There was some very good pitching, as there was last night.”

In the top of the 13th, Webster accomplished what no Dodger has done since Kirk Gibson on June 5, 1989 at Atlanta.

Batting against Donnie Elliott, Webster hit a drive that sailed into right-center field, and Derek Bell chased it down, and turned to make the throw.

“I had no idea where the ball was,” Webster said.

Bell’s throw sailed over cut-off man Bip Roberts, who was screened on the play by Luis Lopez. By then, Webster was rounding third and the ball was just sitting in left field.

“I couldn’t believe (third base coach) Joey (Amalfitano) was waving me in,” Webster said. “I just kept going.”

In the Padre dugout, Manager Jim Riggleman shook his head. In the Dodger dugout, the players had a question: “They asked me if I needed oxygen,” Webster said.

The extra innings gave the Dodgers a good chance to look at their bullpen, and they should have liked what they saw. After Tom Candiotti held the Padres to two runs, one earned, in seven innings, the Dodgers sent up five relievers over the next five innings, and all did their job.

Newcomer Brian Barnes struck out both left-handers he faced in the eighth inning and stranded a runner at first. Ismael Valdes took over and pitched two perfect innings, striking out the side in the 10th inning, including Roberts, whose 23-consecutive game streak ended. Todd Worrell and Roger McDowell also stranded runners on second. Then came Seanez (0-1).

After Shipley scored to tie the game at 3, Phil Plantier was intentionally walked after Gwynn stole second. Bell reached safely on a grounder to first that took a high hop, loading the bases.

Seanez got Billy Bean to fly out before Johnson stepped up.

“That high hop of Bell’s killed us,” Webster said.

The Dodgers had a chance in the 11th inning, when Delino DeShields singled and stole second, but was stranded when Trevor Hoffman came back to strike out Mike Piazza and Wallach grounded out.

DeShields, who scored the Dodgers’ first run in the fourth inning, went three for six with a double and two stolen bases.

The Dodgers also had a chance in the 10th inning, but stranded Raul Mondesi at second base. Mondesi’s single to center was fielded on a hop by Bell, who looked a little stunned when he reached in his glove to throw the ball and discovered it wasn’t there.

By then, Mondesi was midway to second and beat the eventual throw with a head-first dive into the bag. But Hoffman, who replaced Padre starter Andy Ashby, struck out Jose Offerman and Webster.

Ashby held the Dodgers to four hits and two runs, one earned, through nine innings. With the Dodgers trailing, 2-0, in the fourth inning, DeShields scored on a triple by Henry Rodriguez, and Offerman tied the score in the eighth inning, coming home on a single by Brett Butler.

Candiotti, sore big right toe and all, held the Padres to five hits and two runs, one earned, through seven innings.

DeShields led off the fourth with a bunt down the first base line, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a triple to right by Rodriguez.

Ashby, who had won his last three decisions, retired the next 10 before Offerman reached second on two errors by first baseman Tim Hyers, who fumbled Offerman’s grounder, then threw it away. Offerman went to third on Dave Hansen’s groundout and scored when Butler grounded a single into right field, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.

The Padres went ahead, 1-0, in the first on a sacrifice fly by Gwynn.