Heads-Up Langston Leads the Padres

Mark Langston pitched 6 1/3 strong innings for his first win since April 3 and made a heads-up fielding play as the San Diego Padres ended a two-game losing streak to the Seattle Mariners with a 6-0 victory on Thursday.

Steve Finley doubled twice and scored both times and Tony Gwynn drove in two runs for the NL West-leading Padres, who split a pair of home-and-home, two-game series this week with the Mariners, last in the American League West.

With one out and a runner on first in the third inning, Langston let pitcher Ken Cloude’s pop-up bunt drop when he saw Cloude coming out of the box slowly. First baseman Wally Joyner came up behind Langston, reached around him and picked up the ball, throwing to second to start a double play.

The play fooled most of the Padres, who thought Langston made the throw.

The play originally was scored 1-6-4, but was changed after the game to 3-6-4.

Langston intended all along to let the bunt drop.

“When I saw he didn’t run out of the box, I knew that was the double-play ball,” he said. “I guess I’ve got to hit the weight room because Wally kind of pushed me right out of the way and he ended up making the play.”

Langston (2-1), a former Mariner, faced one batter over the minimum through six innings. But he loaded the bases in the seventh on two singles and a walk. Donne Wall came on and got Glenallen Hill to hit into a 1-2-3 double play.