Thursday, May 16, 2002
Padres 2, Expos 1
The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — It took Ryan Klesko seven at-bats to finally deliver for the San Diego Padres. Klesko hit an RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 14th inning and the Padres beat the Montreal Expos 2-1 Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.
The game lasted 4 hours, 19 minutes.
Klesko didn't bother analyzing why he connected on a first-pitch slider from Joey Eischen after going hitless in his first six at-bats.
“It drove in a run to help us win, that's all,” Klesko said. “We didn't do our jobs with men in scoring position. The pitching on both sides did a great job in pressure situations.”
The Padres, winners of four straight, started the winning rally with a leadoff single by D'Angelo Jimenez.
Jimenez advanced on Mark Kotsay's grounder and scored when Klesko singled off the scoreboard on the right-field wall on the first pitch he saw from Eischen (0-1).
Alan Embree (3-1) pitched two innings for the win.
The game included an error by Montreal Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera that allowed the Padres to tie it in the ninth, wasting a brilliant start by Javier Vazquez, and Expos Hall of Fame manager Frank Robinson using a five-man, drawn-in infield that prevented a run in the 11th.
Robinson also wandered out to the mound while the Expos were in the process of intentionally walking Tom Lampkin in the 11th. He finished his visit with a 3-0 count, then went back out and pulled Britt Reames.
The Padres stranded 15 runners, leaving the bases loaded in the ninth and 11th innings.
Rookie Sean Burroughs, who hadn't started in seven games because of a sore right shoulder, grounded out as a pinch-hitter to end the 12th with a runner on third. By the 13th, the Padres' bench was down to Phil Nevin, who missed four starts with a sprained left elbow, which he had drained earlier Wednesday.
If the Padres would have needed another pinch-hitter, it would have been starter Brett Tomko.
“That game should have ended long ago,” Padres manager Bruce Bochy said.
The Padres had a great chance in the 11th, when they loaded the bases on consecutive singles by pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney and Ramon Vazquez, and an intentional walk to Tom Lampkin with one out.
Lefty Graeme Lloyd replaced Reames during a double-switch, and Robinson deployed the a five-man, drawn-in infield against Cesar Crespo. Mike Mordecai, who entered during the double-switch in place of left fielder Brad Wilkerson, was the fifth infielder, playing right over second base.
Crespo worked the count from 0-2 to 3-2, then hit a grounder to Cabrera, who forced Sweeney at home. Jimenez forced Crespo to end the threat.
“That was a tough game to lose, especially with the way we had been going,” Robinson said. “Vazquez pitched a tremendous ballgame for us and gave us exactly what we needed. All we had to do is get three outs.”
Vazquez held the Padres to three hits in eight scoreless innings. Matt Herges came on to start the ninth and blew his third save in nine chances.
After Ray Lankford and Bubba Trammell singled, Cabrera booted Trenidad Hubbard's grounder for an error, allowing Lankford to score. The Padres had the bases loaded with two outs, but Scott Stewart replaced Herges and got Jimenez to ground out.
Vazquez didn't allow a baserunner as far as third base, didn't allow a hit after the fourth inning and retired the last eight batters he faced.
Vazquez, who threw 114 pitches, struck out seven and walked three. He also singled in the sixth.
Padres rookie Dennis Tankersley, making his second start, took a two-hit shutout into the seventh, but Jose Vidro hit a leadoff double and scored on Cabrera's two-out double. He allowed one run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings, struck out six and walked four. He also singled for his first big league hit.
Notes: Montreal's Endy Chavez was called out for stepping out of the batter's box while hitting a foul ball in the top of the 11th. ... The crowd of 12,402 was the Padres' lowest at home since drawing 10,893 against Florida on Sept. 10, 1997. ... The Padres are expected to decide by Thursday or Friday whether Nevin goes on the disabled list.
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Padres 2, Expos 1 
