Lawrence helps push Padres above .500

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Friday, September 30, 2005 6:30 AM PDT ∞

Padres pitcher Brian Lawrence pitches to the Giants during the 1st inning on Thursday.
Hayne Palmour IV
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SAN DIEGO ---- One of the worst stretches of his career might have cost Padres pitcher Brian Lawrence a chance to be a member of the club's postseason rotation.

Lawrence still has his pride, though, and on the night after the Padres clinched the National League West title, he did his part to keep them out of baseball's history book. In his best and possibly last outing of the year, Lawrence threw nine scoreless innings Thursday, and the Padres beat San Francisco 1-0 on Damian Jackson's RBI single in the 11th before 29,818 at Petco Park.

Their third victory in a row over the Giants lifted the Padres (80-79) back above .500 as they attempt to avoid being the only division champion with a losing record in a non-strike year. A sweep of Los Angeles this weekend would move the Padres past the 1973 New York Mets, whose 82-79 mark stands as the worst for a playoff team over a full season.

"We have some pride here," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "We wanted to get this game. There will be a lot of talk if we're not over .500."

Not everyone is concerned about the national chatter. Lawrence is focused more on the Padres' quality of play than on their record.

"It means nothing. We've already clinched," Lawrence said. "When Tuesday (Game 1 of the division series) rolls around, both teams will be 0-0. We're playing solid baseball again. We're going to be a tough team to run into."

Bochy took the liberty of resting most of his starters after the Padres celebrated their fourth division crown in 37 years on Wednesday night. The reserve-filled lineup played as if under a collective hangover, failing to generate a run through 10 innings following outputs of nine runs on each of the previous two nights. The Padres didn't get their first extra-base hit until Manny Alexander lined a two-out double in the ninth.

"It looked like we celebrated too much," Bochy cracked.

But after being blanked by four Giants pitchers, including starter Noah Lowry for six innings, the Padres' bench corps finally posted a crooked number in the 11th. Pinch hitter David Ross began the inning with a bunt single down the third-base line off Jeremy Accardo (1-5) and moved to second on Sean Burroughs' groundout. Jackson then drove his fourth single of the game, a liner down the left-field line that brought Ross home and teammates spilling from the dugout for another celebration, this time of the Padres' 10th walkoff victory.

Right-hander Scott Cassidy, who relieved Lawrence with two perfect innings, earned his first victory for the Padres.

The Padres could get away with a silent attack thanks to Lawrence, who went to the mound with a chip on his shoulder, trying to prove that he deserves to be considered for a playoff start. The right-hander allowed only three hits in his nine scoreless innings as he matched his longest outing of the season (May 27 at San Francisco).

"Everything was working," Lawrence said. "I threw all my pitches. I hung a few and got away with it, then came back and was sharp."

Bochy said he would have sent Lawrence, who had thrown 111 pitches, back out for the 10th inning if his spot in the order didn't come up in the ninth.

With Jackson on third, Alexander on second with a double and two outs, pinch hitter Mark Sweeney flied out to center to end the Padres' best threat.

Lawrence had lasted a combined 10 innings in his previous three starts and had pitched past the fourth just once in September. He entered with a 2-7 record and 6.03 ERA since the All-Star break.

For the sharp reversal of fortune, Lawrence credited a drill he did with the team's pitching coaches, in which he would fire the ball from third to first base to help him locate his natural arm slot.

"The way I've struggled this month, this game means volumes," he said. "I know I can still get outs. I know I've still got it. I can build confidence for the future."

Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.