Padre Fans Get Taste of Last Year

The National League pennant was hoisted to the top of Qualcomm Stadium, the players got their championship rings and “Hell’s Bells” rang out again, reminders of the San Diego Padres’ successful 1998 season.

Tony Gwynn had two hits and scored twice and Wally Joyner, who took over the cleanup spot after the departure of Ken Caminiti, went three-for-four with two RBIs as the Padres beat the Colorado Rockies, 4-3, Tuesday.

This was everything a home opener was supposed to be, said Gwynn, critical of the Padres’ decision to play the season opener at Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday night. They looked awful in losing 8-2 to Colorado in front of a pro-Rockies crowd.

“What a difference, game one and game two, the home crowd getting behind you, Hoffy [Trevor Hoffman] coming in at the end,” Gwynn said. “It brought back vivid memories of the not-too-far past. It was a good day, all the way around.”

Playing at home for the first time since being swept in the World Series by the New York Yankees, the Padres drew an announced crowd of 61,247, their largest regular-season crowd. The attendance appeared generous, given the large number of empty seats in the outfield sections on the gloomy afternoon.

Sterling Hitchcock, MVP of San Diego’s NL championship series win over Atlanta, pitched a steady 5 1/3 innings for the win. He gave up one earned run and three hits, struck out seven and walked four.

Pedro Astacio took just his second loss in eight career decisions against San Diego, giving up four runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.

The Rockies scored a bizarre run in the eighth. Todd Helton doubled and took third on Kirt Manwaring’s single. Center fielder Eric Owens’ throw to the plate hit Helton’s bat, laying in the dirt in front of the plate, and bounced into foul territory, allowing Helton to score. Owens was charged with an error.