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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Scott Elarton had just walked two batters on
eight straight balls when Bret Boone came up and hacked away at the
first pitch.
After all, Boone was trying to get out of a 6-for-49 slump that
had dogged him since hitting two solo homers to help the San Diego
Padres beat the New York Mets on May 24.
Boone worked the count full and then hit a grand slam, and ended
up tying his career high with six RBIs as the Padres beat the
Houston Astros 13-3 on Saturday night to snap their five-game
losing streak.
"I got to 0-and-2 and it went through my brain, 'OK, this is
typical right now the way things are going,'" Boone said. "But I
laid off a couple of tough pitches and got the count to 3-2 and got
a pitch to hit and put a good swing on it. Lately, I haven't had a
lot of good swings."
Manager Bruce Bochy said he considered giving Boone a day off,
didn't because the Padres are too banged up.
"With Boonie it's not physical. He just beats himself up,"
Bochy said. "But we still needed him. Sure he was in a funk, but
he's been around and he knows how to keep pushing."
A night after beating the Padres 7-6, the Astros reverted to the
form they've shown in dropping to the worst record in the majors
(22-39). Elarton allowed nine runs in 1 1-3 innings, the shortest
outing of his career, and the Astros issued three bases-loaded
walks.
Amazingly, Elarton said he felt great. "It's almost embarrassing to say I felt great when you throw a
game like that." Manager Larry Dierker said it was hard to take a pitcher out
that early "because you don't want to use your whole bullpen."
Things got so bad for Houston that infielder Tim Bogar pitched
the eighth inning -- and he was the only Astros pitcher to record a
1-2-3 inning. Bogar, making his first major league appearance,
pitched four times in the minors.
"He threw strikes," Dierker said. "You throw strikes, you
might be able to get somebody out."
Ruben Rivera homered and had three RBIs. Phil Nevin also drove
in three runs, and Eric Owens matched his career-high with four
hits, all singles. The 13 runs matched the Padres' season-high, set
April 16 against the Astros.
Boone hit his second career slam to right-center field on a 3-2
pitch from Elarton (4-2) to highlight the five-run first. His
eighth homer of the season came after Elarton walked Rivera with
the bases loaded to force in the first run.
Boone also came up with the bases loaded with one out in the
second inning. Houston manager Larry Dierker replaced Elarton with
Joe Slusarski, and Boone greeted the reliever by hitting his first
pitch for a two-run single and a 9-2 lead.
Boone's other career grand slam came on April 12, 1998, at
Colorado when he was with Cincinnati. He set his RBI career-high on
Sept. 20 that season at Chicago.
Owens also had four hits against Houston on April 16.
Given a 2-0 lead on Craig Biggio's homer, Elarton wasted little
time in giving it back. Owens singled leading off the first and Al
Martin doubled. With one out, Elarton walked Phil Nevin on four
pitches to load the bases and then walked Rivera on four more to
force in the first run before Boone came to bat.
Rivera hit a two-run homer off Slusarski in the fourth, his
fifth. Nevin hit a two-run double in the second.
Brian Meadows (5-5) won for the first time in five starts. He
allowed two runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked two in six
innings. Elarton allowed six hits, walked four struck out two and
saw his ERA climb from 6.52 to 7.94.
Game notes
Biggio's homer was his third. ... Martin was ejected by
umpire Ted Barrett for arguing a called third strike in the second
inning. A replay appeared to show that Elarton's pitch was just
outside. ... Dave Winfield, who will be inducted into the Padres'
Hall of Fame on Aug. 19, took batting practice before the game. He
joined the Padres straight from college in 1973 and played with
them for eight seasons before signing as a free agent with the New
York Yankees. ... After being used as DH for a six-game trip to
Seattle and Oakland, Tony Gwynn is back to his schedule of one game
on, one game off to rest his degenerative left knee. ... Astros C
Mitch Meluskey threw out Owens trying to steal second in the third
inning, just the fifth runner he's caught in 36 attempts.
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