Monday, July 20, 1998

BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Barry Larkin grimaces after taking a called third strike. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

The way the San Diego Padres have played against the Reds this year, the Padres don't need any help. But the Reds gave them a lot of it Sunday. Reds pitchers walked nine batters. Three of them scored. That was enough to help San Diego to a 7-6 victory in a three-hour, 18-minute game at Cinergy Field.

The Reds, who came home riding a 10-game winning streak, go back on the road losers of three straight.

The season series with San Diego ends 1-11 for the Reds. That is the worst the Reds have done against any team in a season series since divisional play began in 1969.

San Diego is a good team. At 64-34, the Padres are fighting the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the National League. But . . . "We gave them the game today," Reds manager Jack McKeon said. "You can't afford to walk guys in front of (Greg) Vaughn, (Ken) Caminiti and (Tony) Gwynn."

Eduardo Perez loses the grip on the bat and sends it flying into the Padres' dugout. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

But that's what starter Scott Winchester did.

He walked the leadoff man in the first and second innings. He wiggled out of the first, allowing only one run. But after allowing three runs in the second, his day was done.

"I couldn't find the (strike) zone," Winchester said. "If you walk the leadoff guy, like I did the first and second, you're going to struggle."

Scott Sullivan, who replaced Winchester got Caminiti on strikes, but Greg Vaughn, the man who would be MVP if he played the Reds enough, followed with a two-run home run to make it 6-0.

McKeon was not happy with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman. The homer came on a 3-2 pitch, and McKeon thought Sullivan deserved a strike three call -- twice.

"The guy was brutal," McKeon said.

It was Vaughn's fourth homer of the series. None of the homers was cheap. They traveled a total of 1,705 feet.

But credit the Reds, they came back.

Paul Konerko tags out Padres' Chris Gomez. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Eduardo Perez topped Vaughn's act with a 444-foot shot in the red seats above left field. The home run followed Dmitri Young's walk, so it made it a 6-2 game. And it made Perez and his father, Tony, the only father and son combo to hit red-seat homers.

Only 15 players have reached the red, and two are named Perez. "That's a special occasion," Eduardo said.

Reggie Sanders made it 6-3 in the third with a solo home run. Then Guillermo Garcia hit a two-run homer in the fourth. It was the first big-league hit for Garcia, who was called up Saturday from Indianapolis. That made it 6-5. The Reds tied it in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter Willie Greene led off with a single and moved to second on Reggie Sanders' sacrifice. After pinch-hitter Melvin Nieves walked, Barry Larkin scored Greene with a single.

Guillermo Garcia gets a curtain call after his first hit/homer in the major leagues. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

But the Padres would prevail on more gifts.

One out into the eighth, John Hudek walked Chris Gomez and Mark Sweeney. Hudek got Quilvio Veras to hit a double play ball. But second baseman Bret Boone's throw to Barry Larkin was off target. Everyone was safe.

"It's a routine play for me," Boone said. "I made a bad throw. You watch enough baseball, and it's going to happen. But I'm not very happy about it."

Reggie Sanders helps his daughter, Carrigon, 9-mo., during the annual father/child exhibition game. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

The error was Boone's fourth of the year and 16th in the last four years.

Gwynn followed with a sacrifice fly to score what proved to be the winning run.

McKeon could forgive the error, but not the walk that put the winning run on.

"If they beat you, they beat you," he said, for roughly the 237th time this year, "but don't beat yourself. If our pitchers can't throw strikes, we've got to get somebody in here who can."