Samuel’s Single in 10th Gives Dodgers 2nd Place

The Dodgers clinched second place in the National League West in style Tuesday night before 22,883 at Dodger Stadium, defeating the San Diego Padres, 8-7, in 10 innings.

The Dodgers had staged a wild comeback to take a 7-6 lead in the eighth, only to have the Padres tie the score in the ninth.

The Dodgers needed only four batters in the 10th inning against Craig Lefferts (7-5). Mike Sharperson led off with a single to right field, Eddie Murray singled to right and Hubie Brooks was intentionally walked to load the bases. Juan Samuel followed with a single to center, scoring Sharperson with the winning run.

Dave Walsh pitched the 10th inning and got his first major league victory.

It all looked so easy against a pitcher with whom the Dodgers have had loads of trouble. Lifetime against the Dodgers, Lefferts was 9-0 with five saves and a 2.04 earned-run average. But on this night, the Dodgers weren’t to be restrained by the usual.

Trailing, 6-2, with two out and none on in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Dodgers suddenly came to life. They scored five runs on a walk, four singles and an error to take the lead.

The rally started when Padre starter Dennis Rasmussen walked Jose Gonzalez and wild-pitched him to second. Sharperson followed with a single to center, scoring Gonzalez to bring the Dodgers to within 6-3. Murray lined a single to left, sending Sharperson to third and Padre Manager Greg Riddoch to the mound.

Exit Rasmussen; enter Lefferts.

No matter. Brooks lined Lefferts’ first pitch into right field, scoring Sharperson and sending Murray to third base. Samuel followed with a grounder to second, but Joey Cora bobbled it and then threw it away. Murray scored, Brooks went to third and Samuel made it to second.

Up stepped Mickey Hatcher, pinch-hitting for relief pitcher Jim Gott. Hatcher hit a single into right, scoring Brooks and Samuel. Lefferts then struck out Jose Offerman, but it was too late. Dodgers, 7-6.

Jay Howell, who replaced Gott, got two quick outs before Jack Clark--who was eligible because he decided to appeal a one-game suspension earlier in the day--Joe Carter and Mike Pagliarulo singled consecutively to make it 7-7.

The Padres took an early lead thanks to two home runs by Jerald Clark. The first traveled over the right-center field fence in the fourth inning, a two-run shot off Dodger starter Mike Morgan. That put the Padres ahead, 3-0. Clark’s second homer came two innings later against relief pitcher Tim Crews, a two-run shot to left that increased the Padre lead to 6-1 and Clark’s RBI total for the evening to four.

Morgan was removed after the fifth inning, having allowed eight hits and four runs.