Teufel’s Homer in 10th Gives Padres a Sweep

SAN DIEGO —  He arrived in May with no fanfare and absolutely no expectations. He was the other guy in the Garry Templeton trade. Tim Teufel was just a journeyman whose career was rotting, wasn’t he?

Funny how three months can change fans’ perspective.

The Padres have known for quite a while how vital Teufel has become to their team. His 10th-inning homer off Cris Carpenter, which gave the Padres to a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, let 17,609 fans in on the secret.

“How much do you think Teufel has meant to our team the last two months?” said Padre Manager Greg Riddoch, shaking his head in disbelief. “What a lift. And not just what he’s done on the field, but his leadership qualities.”

The Padres, whose victory completed their first three-game sweep of the Cardinals at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium since May 23-25, 1978, showed Teufel what they thought of him a week ago--by not trading him.

The Minnesota Twins were anxious to add Teufel to their bench for the pennant stretch, and offered the Padres a pitching prospect in return. It would have been a rather easy trade to make. Teufel is a free agent at the end of the season, anyway, and why not get a prospect for a month of Teufel’s services?

The catch was that the Padres want Teufel for much longer than this season. The Padres will try to sign him as a free agent--even if the asking price might be a two-year contract for more than $1.5 million.

The raw numbers will show that Teufel is hitting .245 with nine homers and 33 RBIs since joining the Padres. Behind the scenes, Teufel has become a positive clubhouse influence and one of the team leaders.

“I just know I’m having fun again,” Teufel said. “To come over here was a revival as far as my baseball career. I’ve been blessed with the chance to come over and here and not sit on the bench.

“There’s no question I wouldn’t be in this situation to even talk to you guys if I were in New York. This is nice.”

Padre first baseman Fred McGriff, within earshot, then chose that moment to walk past Teufel and say, “Howard Johnson would have been proud of you.”

Five months into a season that has been filled with uncertainty, injuries and a blizzard of roster shuffling, the Padres are playing their best ball of the season.

The Padres’ victory was their fifth in a row, and 11th in their past 15 games. It also was their eight consecutive victory over the Cardinals and completed a 6-3 home stand, their best of the season.

No one in the National League is hotter. The Padres’ 29-25 record since the All-Star break is the second-best in the National League West, behind only the Atlanta Braves (36-20). The pace has enabled the Padres to stay in third place, 7 1/2 games behind the division-leading Dodgers with 25 games remaining.

Was it any wonder that right fielder Tony Gwynn was back in the lineup Saturday, ignoring doctors’ advice that he should have knee surgery?

“Hey, I know we probably would have to win almost the rest of our games,” Gwynn said, “but we have a chance don’t we? That’s why I want to play. I don’t want to around and watch. I’d like to see us making things interesting.

“If the Dodgers and Atlanta go into a little slide, watch out, because they might be staring us in the face.”

As improbable as the Padres’ chances are, their pitching has prevented them from falling completely out of the race. The staff has allowed only three earned runs during the winning streak for a 0.59 ERA. Saturday’s victory was the Padres’ 10th shutout of the season.

Starter Bruce Hurst pitched perhaps his most dominant game of the season. He yielded a season low-equaling four hits and struck out eight without a walk. The Cardinals hit only two fly balls into the outfield during Hurst’s eight-inning stint.

It was the 29th consecutive start this season that Hurst pitched at least six innings. He’s the only pitcher in major league baseball to accomplish the feat.

“That’s the only thing I feel bad about,” Teufel said, “that Bruce didn’t get the win. He deserved this one.”

As dominant as Hurst was, Cardinal starter Ken Hill was equally overpowering. He allowed three hits in eight innings before being removed for a pinch-hitter.

The Padres looked as if they might break the tie in the ninth inning when they put runners on first and second with one out, but Darrin Jackson grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Reliever Mike Maddux pitched two scoreless innings to earn his sixth victory.

“It was a hitter’s nightmare out there all night long,” Teufel said.

Teufel, the first batter to face Carpenter, stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 10th. He worked the count to 3-and-2, simply hoping to become the lead runner. Instead, he swung mightily on Carpenter’s fastball, sending it over the left-field wall.

“What a way to end the ball game,” Teufel said.

It’s unknown, of course, how many more opportunities Teufel will have for game-winning heroics wearing a Padre uniform. Although he’ll give the Padres every opportunity to sign him, and the team wants him to return, his decision might rest with playing time.

After all, if it weren’t for second baseman Bip Roberts’ knee injury, Teufel might be sitting on the bench this final month of the season. At best, he’d be platooning at third base with Jack Howell.

“I don’t want to make it sound like I’m jumping the gun,” Teufel said, “but the club is heading into the right direction. I just want to contribute. I want to be a factor on a ballclub.

“When you sit on the bench on a ballclub for 15 to 20 at-bats, you’re not a factor.

“Hopefully, we can change all that.”