Lefferts Homers to Give Padres Win in 12 : Trailing, 7-4, San Francisco Recovers to Send Game Into Extra Innings

SAN DIEGO — Pitcher Craig Lefferts hit his first major-league home run to give the Padres a 9-8 win over San Francisco in 12 innings Friday night.

San Francisco had taken an 8-7 lead with a run in the top of the 12th off Lefferts. Graig Nettles led off the bottom of the 12th with a homer, then Lefferts hit his game-winner off Greg Minton with one out.

The Giants handed the Padres an early 7-4 lead Friday night, but the Padres gave it right back by allowing one run in the eighth and two in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

Thanks to porous San Francisco pitching and defense, the Padres were able to take their 7-4 lead after seven innings.

San Francisco pitchers had walked eight batters in the first five innings, five of whom scored. Two Giants errors--and a couple of giant defensive mental errors--also aided the Padres.

These were not the Giants who had swept four games from the Padres last week in San Francisco. These were last year’s Giants, the ones who lost 100 games.

However, in the last two innings of regulation, the Padres decided to give back what they had received.

With two out in the eighth, reliever Gene Walter allowed a pinch-hit home run to former Dodger Candy Maldonado.

Then, with one out in the ninth, Walter allowed an infield single to Bob Brenly that bounced off the leg of shortstop Garry Templeton.

Padre Manager Steve Boros had seen enough, so he went to savior Goose Gossage. What a break it turned out to be for the Giants.

Gossage immediately allowed a single to Dan Gladden and walked Will Clark to load the bases.

Chris Brown followed with a line drive that bounced off Gossage’s leg toward first base. Steve Garvey retrieved the ball in foul territory and made a crawling effort to beat Brown to the bag, but Brown got there first.

There was concern in the Padre dugout whether Gossage’s leg was hurt. All that was hurt was his pride, so he told people to get away when they approached the mound.

Jeffrey Leonard, the next batter, added to the sting. He hit a sacrifice fly to deep right, scoring Gladden with the tying run.

The Giants had started a pitcher named Jim Gott, who works as if he is getting paid by the pitch--or the hour.

Gott, who began the night with a 12.46 earned-run average, was barely around long enough in the fifth inning to watch a 4-2 lead turn into a 5-4 deficit.

With the Giants leading, 4-2, in the bottom of the fifth, Gott retired got Tony Gwynn on a fly to center for the first out. Kevin McReynolds walked and advanced to second on Gott’s balk. Garvey singled to center, scoring McReynolds. Terry Kennedy walked, signaling the end of Gott.

Roger Craig, the Giant manager, then signaled for Jeff Robinson from the bullpen. If only Craig had it to do over again . . .

Robinson walked Carmelo Martinez to load the bases. Graig Nettles hit a two-run single to center, giving the Padres a 5-4 lead.

Templeton then walked to again load the bases.

Mark Davis, who relieved Robinson, allowed a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Jerry Royster, and the Padres led, 6-4.

The Padres had scored four times in the inning on two singles, four walks, a balk and a wild pitch.

It was enough to make one wonder how the Giants have gotten off to their best start since 1973.

Of course, the Padres had a little to do with their own early fate.

Garvey was particularly effective, driving in three runs with two singles and a sacrifice fly. And Nettles did hit the go-ahead, two-run single.

Early on, the Giants made it obvious they would pound the Padres or themselves.

They pounded Padre starter Mark Thurmond for four runs in four-plus innings before Thurmond was mercifully replaced.

However, it was really old hat for Thurmond. He had allowed six runs in 1 innings in his last start against the Giants, against whom he has a 1-5 career record.

Even the Giants’ outs were impressive.

In the third, Gladden lined to short and Leonard lined to third. In the fourth, Rob Thompson lined to left and Gott lined to right.

However, there was nothing impressive about the San Francisco defense.

In the first, Tim Flannery should have been out by 20 feet on a play at third base, but Brown dropped the ball while making the tag, putting Flannery in position to score on Garvey’s sacrifice fly.

In the third, Flannery took an extra base when right fielder Chili Davis played kickball with McReynolds’ single.

Later in the inning, Terry Kennedy hit a 60-foot blooper to the left side of the infield. Shortstop Jose Uribe and third baseman Brown both charged the ball . . . then watched it drop. Kennedy, not the world’s fastest runner, had an infield single.

Padre Notes LaMarr Hoyt will make his first start of the year Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs, Manager Steve Boros said Friday. When the Padres were rained out four days ago at Cincinnati, it was announced that Hoyt would start Wednesday against St. Louis. Boros said Hoyt is being switched back to Tuesday so that Mark Thurmond, who started Friday night, will pitch on four days rest Wednesday against St. Louis. . . . . Hoyt threw 52 pitches in a simulated four-inning game against Padre batters Friday. “We thought he threw very well,” pitching coach Galen Cisco said. Boros said he hopes Hoyt can pitch five innings Tuesday. . . . Lance McCullers threw at “about 65%” on the sidelines Friday, according to Cisco. McCullers has not pitched since straining a muscle in his left rib cage seven days ago. “We don’t want to use him in the next couple of days,” Cisco said. “We want to give him as much rest as we can. Those things don’t heal easy.”. . . . Bruce Bochy’s knee has healed sufficiently to allow him to catch again, Boros said. Garry Templeton was bothered by a hamstring injury Friday but still started. . . . . The Giants’ Vida Blue, whose turn in the rotation is tonight, will not pitch because of a hamstring injury he aggravated running the bases six days ago.