Brown Will Go on Short Rest

To the San Diego Padres, the decision was simple--bring back ace Kevin Brown as soon as possible in the NL division series against the Houston Astros.

Brown, who was outstanding in Tuesday’s opening win at Houston, will start the pivotal Game 3 tonight with the series tied, 1-1. The Padres expect a sellout of more than 64,000, which would be the largest to see a baseball game in San Diego.

“It comes down to a best-of-three series and we are going with our best,” Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday. “He has had plenty of rest. He’s fine and set to go.”

Because Wednesday was a day off, the Padres intended all along to bring back Brown as quickly as possible.

Brown struck out 16, the second-most in postseason history, and gave up only two hits in eight shutout innings Tuesday as the Padres beat Randy Johnson and the Astros, 2-1, at the Astrodome.

“I don’t think any of us want to go back to Houston, so we want to to win tomorrow and take our chances on Sunday and see what happens,” Padre pitching coach Dave Stewart said.

Brown will pitch on three days’ rest for the third time since Aug. 20.

“I think for me the key was whatever the team felt was best for its success,” Brown said. “I didn’t feel any problem physically. It doesn’t bother me to do it. You just adapt your in-between workouts.”

The Astros feel the pressure is on the Padres.

“It seems like a sense of urgency on their part,” center fielder Carl Everett said.

Left-hander Sterling Hitchcock had been scheduled to start for the Padres tonight. He’ll now be pushed back to Sunday. Joey Hamilton, who pitched three shutout innings of relief on Thursday, could start if there’s a Game 5.

The Astros intend to stick with left-hander Mike Hampton today. Manager Larry Dierker said the only time he thought about bringing back Johnson on three days’ rest was before Thursday’s game.

“I thought if we were down 2-0, I probably wouldn’t face an elimination game without having Randy start it,” Dierker said Friday. “And that’s still the case. If we lose tomorrow, then Randy starts on Sunday. If we win tomorrow, we’ll probably go with Jose Lima and save Randy for home in the fifth game, if necessary.

“That way, if we win tomorrow and the next day, then Randy’s on long rest, but he would be ready to go in the next series.”

PITCHERS

ASTROS’

MIKE HAMPTON

(11-7, 3.36 ERA)

vs.

PADRES’

KEVIN BROWN

(18-7, 2.38 ERA)

Site--Qualcomm Stadium, San

Diego. Time--8 p.m. TV--ESPN

* Update--In Hampton’s only playoff appearance, last year against Atlanta, he seemed to feel the pressure and got too high--both emotionally and with his pitches. He walked eight and gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 13-3 loss to the Braves. Dierker believes Hampton should be more relaxed this time. “I think it helps him in one way to go against Brown, in the sense that he’s not expected to win the game,” Dierker said. “If he can, he’s a hero. If he doesn’t win, he’s not the goat. And the fact that can’t be eliminated takes some pressure off him. He’s in sort of a no-lose situation.”