Vaughn’s Hit Might Be a Farewell Gift

If Greg Vaughn indeed is going, going, gone from the San Diego Padres, he will have left on a high note.

The struggling slugger, on the verge of being traded to the New York Yankees for pitcher Kenny Rogers and infielder Mariano Duncan, had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the sixth inning to lift the San Diego Padres to a 10-8 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.

The home run capped a bizarre day for Vaughn, who has struggled since being acquired from Milwaukee last July 31.

“I walk in here and someone tells me I might be going to New York. Wow,” Vaughn said. “My family just got here a couple days ago, so it threw me for a loop. But once again, it’s part of the game. I’ve just got to make an adjustment and roll with the punches.”

Part of Vaughn’s problem has been having to share time in left field with Rickey Henderson.

“I haven’t lost any confidence in my ability. All I want is a chance,” he said. “If I get four at-bats every day, something good will happen. I’ve never had to play one out of three [games], one out of four. It’s just one of those things where if I get four at-bats, I can help the San Diego Padres or I can help whoever I go to.”

The trade talks may have been speeded because Yankee left fielder Tim Raines, on the disabled list since June 2 because of a strained left hamstring, had another setback in Tampa, Fla. Raines was taking ground balls in the outfield at the Yankees’ training complex when he felt something. He was scheduled to play in a game Sunday, but that has been pushed back.

Vaughn’s homer was the fourth of the night for the Padres, who blew a 7-0 first-inning lead.

Steve Finley hit his fourth career grand slam and a solo homer, giving him eight in his last eight games and 16 this season. He had sat out the last three games because of a strained left groin.

Finley, who has two three-homer games this year, left after the seventh inning when he aggravated his groin injury.

The game featured seven homers, giving the teams 12 in the two-game series.

San Diego’s Tony Gwynn went one for three, dropping his average to .399.

With the score tied, 8-8, Seattle reliever Greg McCarthy (1-1) gave up a single to John Flaherty leading off the sixth and made way for Bobby Ayala, who gave up Vaughn’s 10th homer to center field.

Reliever Rich Batchelor (2-1) pitched the sixth inning for the win, giving up an RBI single to Rob Ducey that tied the score. Vaughn pinch-hit for Batchelor.

Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 16th save.

The Padres opened a 7-0 lead with one out in the first inning on Finley’s grand slam and a three-run homer by Flaherty. Mariner rookie Derek Lowe lasted only one-third of an inning, giving up six runs and two hits.

Lowe walked the bases full before Finley’s slam, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. Of his 33 pitches, 22 were balls. The Padres sent 11 batters to the plate in the first.

Left-hander Sterling Hitchcock, traded from the Mariners to the Padres on Dec. 6, was reinstated from the disabled list before the game and started. The Padres wanted to hold Hitchcock to no more than 75 pitches, and the left-hander came out after throwing 68 in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the year. He gave up four hits and four runs and walked two.

Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 16 games with an eighth-inning single.