This Date In Padres Baseball - April 22

THIS DATE IN PADRE BASEBALL

1998 SEASON

PADRES WIN IN EXTRA INNINGS!
PADRES 3 CUBS 2 (14 innings)

The Padres jumped all over starter Kevin Tapani with a walk a 3 singles to go up 2-0 in the first. Back to back singles by Ken Caminiti and Wally Joyner drove in Steve Finley and Tony Gwynn, but that is all the Friars could muster in regulation time.

Joey Hamilton was cruising along, allowing only 1 run, until walking Lance Johnson to open the 8th. Bruce Bochy would turn to Sterling Hitchcock, who allowed a bunt sacrifice sending Johnson to second. Then facing Sammy Sosa, would allow a single to left to tie the game. When asked after the game about using Sterling in that spot, Bochy responded " Well, Hitch has been throwing his pitches well recently, and really did again tonight. Just unlucky. He turned into Sosa there, who did a great job fighting it off to left. The key was the bunt, perfectly placed so the only choice was to get the man at first."

Gwynn would lace his second single of the night in the 9th, but would be stranded. 

In the 14th inning, the tie would finally be broken. Quilvio Veras would walk, a Steve Finley single, and a game winning Ken Caminiti single would make the score 3-2 and make a winner of Brian Boehringer (3-1)

Carlos Reyes would close out the game for his first save.

News and Notes - After the game Bochy said if he needed another bat, Kevin Brown would have been the next bat up, having exhausted his entire bench.

Standings:

SDP	15	4	.789	--
SFG	10	10	.500	5.5
LAD	9	10	.474	6.0
COL	7	14	.333	9.0
ARI	6	15	.286	10.0

HOT FRIAR:  Dan Miceli, 2 IP, 1H, 3 K in another solid relief appearance. ERA drops to 1.88

COLD FRIAR: Steve Finley, 1 for 6, average drops below Mendoza line at .198

Notable games of April 22

PADRES FRANCHISE RECORD ON THIS DATE = 21-20 .512

Game 16 1984 @Dodgers 15 Padres 6 - In the glorious 1984 campaign, this game was ugly, allowing the most runs all season.

Game 17 1997 Astros 12 Padres 3 - After winning the division in 1996, hopes were high for a repeat, but this game saw the last time the Padres were above .500 all season and a season high 8 game losing streak began.

Game 21 2014 Padres 2 @Brewers 1 - First extra inning affair of the 2014 season, and the longest, which they would replicate 5 other times during the year.



GAME OF THE DATE

Game 14 1988 Padres 3 Astros 1

My second game of 1988, another Padre win behind Jimmy Jones and Mark Davis.  Watching Nolan Ryan in person for the first time, one could not help but be impressed with the man. At age 41, he would still lead the league in strikeouts, adding 8 tonight. And even more amazingly, pitch for 5 more seasons!

But a solo HR by Marvell Wynne in the 4th, and a 2 run shot by Benito Santiago in the 6th was all the Padres would need tonight. Ryan would give up a a total of 7 hits, but none as important as the two in the first inning.

Tony Gwynn, would single to center,  for his 1,000th career hit.
Then the newest, and youngest (20) member of the Padres would make their MLB debut. Roberto Alomar would single to center with the count 0-2.



 I must have thought his debut was pretty important, because I noted it on the back of my ticket:

Padres Making MLB Debuts on April 22

1988
Roberto Alomar
Age - 20
Position - 2B
Stat Line - 1 for 4 , 1 K. First MLB hit off Nolan Ryan

Signed by the San Diego Padres as an amateur free agent. (December 1985)
Traded by the San Diego Padres with Joe Carter to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff. (December 1990)


Padre Career:  .283 with 22 HR and 157 RBI in 448 games (3 seasons)

ALL TIME PADRE LEADRBOARD

#17 WAR - 12.2

#11 AVG - .283

#44 Games - 448

#25 Runs - 246

#29 Hits - 497

T31 2B - 78

T32 3B - 12

T48 RBI - 157

#14 SB - 90

Transactions of April 22

1997
Released Rene Gonzales.

• Utility infielder Gonzales was released after just a few games at AAA Las Vegas, never appearing as a Padre.

Traded players to be named later, Gordie Amerson (minors) and Homer Bush to the New York Yankees. Received Rafael Medina, Ruben Rivera and $3,000,000

• LF Amerson was playing fro the Clinton LumberKings at A ball when traded. Never rose above that level in his professional career.
• 2B/SS Bush was at AAA Las Vegas when traded. He would make his MLB debut for the Yankees later that season.
• P Medina would pitch at AAA Las Vegas in 1997, but would be traded to Florida in the off-season as part of the package for 1998 hero, Kevin Brown.
• CF Rivera would play 4 seasons with the Padres (1997-2000) hitting .204 with 46 HR and 135 RBI.

2014
Traded player to be named to the Atlanta Braves. Received Tyler Greene.

• MIF Tyler Greene would play his last year of professional ball at AAA El Paso.