Padres Face Crucial Series With Giants : Don’t Need to Sweep to Remain in Race, Manager Declares

The San Diego Padres can make or break their pennant hopes when they open a three-game series at San Francisco tonight, but San Diego Manager Jack McKeon says his club doesn’t need to sweep to stay in the hunt.

“If we win two--or three--games up there, that’s a good series,� McKeon said after the second-place Padres were routed 13-4 Thursday night by Atlanta to drop six games behind the Giants in the National League West. (Story in Part III.)

“It’s been an uphill battle for a month. We’ve gone from 12 games back (a month ago) to five games back. You’ve got to give those guys out there credit for battling back.�

In the last 14 games, however, the Giants have matched the 11-3 record of the surging Padres. Each club has 15 games remaining, including a three-game season-ending series at San Diego.

“I don’t believe we have to sweep (this weekend),� McKeon insisted. “We’re just thinking about (tonight). You have to win the first two before you can think about the sweep.�

San Francisco had beaten Cincinnati in extra innings before the Braves-Padres game started. After failing to keep pace with the Giants, outfielder Tony Gwynn admitted the Padres may be feeling the pressure.

‘Burst Our Bubble’

“We knew we had to win, and we just didn’t get the job done,� he said. “It’s burst our bubble. It seems like every time we lose, they win and stretch their lead out.�

Although dejected about the loss, Gwynn remained optimistic about San Diego’s chances of catching San Francisco.

“The Giants haven’t struggled all year, and you can’t expect them to struggle now,� he said. “Still, we have our fate in our own hands. We have six games to play against them and if we win them all, the worst we can come away with them is a tie.�

Giants Manager Roger Craig said of the Padres, “They’re playing extremely well, but if we keep winning they’re going to run out of time.�

“There’s no pressure on anybody here,� said San Francisco slugger Will Clark after scoring the winning run against Cincinnati in Thursday’s 4-3, 12-inning victory.

“The pressure-packed time is when you’ve got a one- or two-game lead. When you’ve got a five-game lead and you’re trying to put the race away, that’s fun.�

Make it six games, with the magic number down to 10.

Bob Knepper, 7-11, gets the starting assignment tonight against Dennis Rasmussen, 8-10. Scott Garrelts, 13-3, pitches on Saturday against Calvin Schiraldi, 5-6, with Rick Reuschel, 16-6, going in Sunday’s finale against Bruce Hurst, 14-10.