Gwynn Is a Hit Again for Padres

SAN DIEGO — No surprises in Jack Murphy Stadium Tuesday night.

Tony Gwynn continued his assault on the National League batting lead, and the Padres opened another homestand with, ho-hum, another victory.

Gwynn’s three hits knocked in two runs and he scored two more in the Padres’ 6-2 victory over the Montreal Expos in front of 13,727.

First, the team’s numbers: The Padres are undefeated in seven homestand openers in 1988. Their overall record in the first series of homestands is 14-5.

The Padres are also 4-0 at home against Montreal this season. The Expos, who are making a run at the New York Mets in the National League East, have won 17 of their past 23 road games. But the Padres, coming off a four-game split with the Houston Astros, a contender in the NL West, have been holding their own, especially at home.

“I think we’re fairing pretty well against all teams,” manager Jack McKeon said. “We don’t say, ‘You’re in contention, so we’ll play harder.’ It’s the money time of the year, and our guys aren’t taking a back seat to anyone. Our guys know how to win now.”

Now, Gwynn’s numbers: His 3-for-3 night pushed his batting average to .320, one point shy of Atlanta’s Gerald Perry. In Gwynn’s last 14 games, he has hit .426.

“I’m not worried (about the batting title),” Gwynn said. “I know people are real interested and would like to see me win, but I’m just trying to be consistent.

“He’ll win the batting title,” McKeon predicted. “I don’t want to put pressure on him, but he’ll win it.”

Said Gwynn: “I did a lot of good things at the plate tonight. I swung at only one bad pitch.”

Gwynn wasn’t the only Padre who was successful at the plate.

Keith Moreland, batting clean-up, was 2 for 3 with 2 runs batted in. Pitcher Jimmy Jones was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

But it was Jones’ pitching that helped the Padres most. The Expos collected two singles and a walk in the first inning and two singles and a double in the second, but Jones kept things under control for the most part, only allowing two runs in the second and improve to 8-10.

Montreal sent left fielder John Kruk scurrying in the second inning when Nelson Santovenia singled and Rex Hudler followed with a double down the line. That put runners on second and third, and that’s when the fun began.

Holman pushed a bunt between the Jones and Moreland. Jones picked it up, turned to throw to first, but second baseman Roberto Alomar had yet to arrive. Santovenia crossed the plate and Hudler took third.

Next up was center fielder Dave Martinez, who also bunted. This time, the ball came directly to Jones. He quickly picked it up, glanced toward Hudler, who was halfway down the third base line--and threw Martinez out at first.

Hudler elected to race home. Moreland’s throw was high, and Hudler easily scored. Tim Raines grounded to first to end the inning, but by then the two Expos had scored on three hits.

But thanks to Gwynn, the Padres had scored in the first and then regained the lead in the third.

Jefferson led off the bottom of the first with a walk, and stayed there when Alomar popped up a bunt to pitcher Brian Holman. No matter--Jefferson reached second anyway by stealing it on a 1-1 pitch to Gwynn.

One pitch later Gwynn laced a single to right to score Jefferson.

In the third, Jones rapped the first of two singles and moved to second on Jefferson’s grounder to first base. He scored a batter later when Gwynn sliced a double into the left field corner. Gwynn scored when Moreland followed with a single to right.

Jefferson also scored San Diego’s fourth run of the evening in the fifth. He reached first on a fielder’s choice and then took off for second on a 1-2 pitchout with Alomar at bat. Alomar struck out, but Gwynn was walked intentionally and Moreland followed with another single, this time to center, to score Jefferson.

Gwynn collected his third hit in the seventh, a one-out single to left off Neal Heaton which sent Alomar, who had also singled, to third. Gwynn took second on left fielder Tim Raines’ throwing error to third.

Moreland was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Carmelo Martinez, pinch-hitting for the slumping Kruk, singled to center to score Alomar and Gwynn.

It was 6-2, San Diego, and Lance McCullers was summoned to finish the Expos off. He earned his ninth save in 13 attempts.

Padre Notes

There was a San Diego Pops Concert on the field before Tuesday night’s game, which meant that neither the Padres nor the Expos were able to take batting practice. And because the Padres are the only team in the National League without an indoor batting cage, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk went elsewhere. They left the stadium at 3:30 p.m. for the San Diego School of Baseball’s batting cages, where they hit for an hour. “It’s stupid,” Gwynn said. “To tell you the truth, I have nothing against the Pops orchestra, but we’ve been on the road for two weeks and want to take batting practice to get used to hitting here again. We come home and we can’t hit or take infield. At least Krukie and I swung the bat. We weren’t going to go right into the game without hitting. But hitting against a machine is not the same as facing live pitching. Once again, it exploits the fact that we don’t have an indoor cage. It’s just bad timing--if it was in the middle of the home stand, it wouldn’t be that bad. But we’ve just spent four days on artificial turf (in Houston).”

Montreal Manager Buck Rodgers said the Expos had been warned that they wouldn’t be able to take batting practice. “The only thing they didn’t tell us was that we could take infield,” Rodgers said. According to Rodgers, the Expos could have taken batting practice from 4:10-5 p.m., but didn’t. “I got the note at 4:10,” Rodgers said. By then, it was a little late. . . . The tremors from the Pedro Guerrero-John Tudor trade were felt in San Diego. Padre Manager Jack McKeon, who said the Dodgers did not approach the Padres about Guerrero’s availability, thinks the trade will help both Los Angeles and St. Louis. “The Dodgers needed pitching and they got it, and the Cardinals were looking for a hitter for next year,” McKeon said. “It’s apparent that the Dodgers are set on winning it this year. I think if I was in their position, I would be, too.” . . . The trade is the biggest move this summer of what is an annual August tradition: contenders strengthening themselves for the final leg of the pennant race. McKeon said he has talked with “a number” of teams since June, but none seriously. “Our stock answer is sure, we’ll do something, but we’re not interested in prospects,” McKeon said. “That stops everybody right there, because if you’re a contender, you’re not going to trade an established player.”

McKeon on trade rumors involving Benito Santiago: “I wish that would cease. Why would we want to trade Benny? Who would catch?