Injured Brown Hurts Cardinals by Playing

Padre fans take note. Chris Brown is injured. And he isn’t complaining.

During his 2 1/2 years with the San Francisco Giants, third baseman Brown was plagued with a reputation as a malingerer. But Brown, who was traded to San Diego two weeks ago, didn’t let a sore right wrist stop him Saturday in the Padres’ 4-3 victory over the Cardinals.

Brown’s 10th-inning line drive into center field off left-hander Ken Dayley drove in John Kruk for the game-winning RBI.

He also made some defensive contributions on Saturday. In the seventh, Brown prevented Vince Coleman, the league’s leading base-stealer, from getting on base with a quick throw to first.

“(That play) might have taken us out of an inning,” said Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog.

After the game, Brown’s wrist, bruised more than two weeks ago in a game against the Cubs, was swathed in bandages, dripping ice water to the floor.

But Brown shrugged at the mention of what he hopes is his former reputation.

“I don’t think of that,” he said. “With a 24-man roster you’ve got to do the best you can.”

Manager Larry Bowa wanted to give Brown a rest Saturday, but the third baseman asked to stay in the game.

“He hurts pretty bad,” Bowa said. “But he wants to play (in order) to shut that rap people have been giving him.”

Bowa thinks Brown’s reputation is unjustified. He pointed out that most of Brown’s time on the disabled list came after a shoulder operation and while Brown’s jaw was wired shut, broken earlier this year by a pitch thrown by Cardinal Danny Cox.

“That’s about as legitimate as you can get,” Bowa said.

Bowa couldn’t be happier that he left Brown in the game. The 10th inning was ideal for Brown, one of the league’s best hitters with runners in scoring position.

Kruk was on second base after a walk and a sacrifice bunt by Tony Gwynn. Marvell Wynne then walked to bring up Brown.

“He was the one guy we didn’t want to face in that inning,” Herzog said.

The Cardinals had hoped to get Wynne out and then walk Brown. Benito Santiago was up after Brown.

But, rather than load the bases with one out, Dayley was forced to pitch to Brown, who hit a 1-1 fastball that dropped in center field. Willie McGee’s throw to the plate was not in time to get Kruk, and the Padres had their second victory since the All-Star break.

Brown isn’t sure why he is so able to produce with runners on base.

“My adrenaline is flowing,” he said. “I just try to hit the ball hard.”

Said Bowa: “It’s hard to teach someone (clutch hitting). He just rises to the occasion.”

Bowa also said that Brown’s positive attitude about the trade to the Padres has helped.

“Those guys are showing me that they’re very happy to be here,” Bowa said, speaking not only of Brown, but of former Giant pitchers Mark Grant, Keith Comstock and Mark Davis.

Davis pitched two innings Saturday, giving up one hit and striking out three.

“I’m happy to be here,” said Brown, who is 5 for 12 with 2 RBIs in the series against the Cardinals. “I want to prove that the trade was best for the Padres.”

Said Tony Gwynn: “He helps balance out the lineup. He’s a gamer. This is a new start for him.”

Brown, a native of Los Angeles, has a positive outlook on moving from a contending team to a last-place, wait-until-next-year team.

“My rookie year (in San Francisco) we lost 100 games,” he said. “But we were able to turn it around. We had a young team like we do now.”