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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- His record doesn't reflect it, but rookie Adam
Eaton had just as much to do with the San Diego Padres' 3-1 win
over the staggering Cincinnati Reds on Saturday as Tony Gwynn's
go-ahead, pinch-hit RBI single.
The 22-year-old Eaton had another brilliant performance, holding
the Reds to one run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. He didn't get
the decision; that went to Kevin Walker, another rookie who started
the season at Double-A Mobile.
Gwynn then gave the Padres the win with his single as Reds
manager Jack McKeon gambled with pitcher-batter matchups, and lost.
Eaton, one of three pitchers who came over from Philadelphia in
the Andy Ashby deal in November, did everything but get the
decision.
"He's very impressive," said Gwynn, who at 40 is nearly twice
as old as Eaton. "The thing I've said all along is his composure
is just amazing. He's facing a lineup with I don't know how many
All-Stars in it and his facial expression never changes. He looks
like he's been here for 10 years."
With so much happening so fast since his contract was purchased
from Mobile on May 30, Eaton said it feels like he's been up only a
couple of days. But he appreciated Gwynn's compliment.
"I'm glad I look like that," Eaton said. "One thing I don't
ever want to look out there is nervous or timid."
The only mistake Eaton made was leaving a changeup on the outer
third of the plate that Ken Griffey Jr. drove 409 feet into the
seats in right field, his 19th homer, to give the Reds a 1-0 lead
in the third inning.
Eaton beat Milwaukee in his big league debut and has three
straight no-decisions since. The Padres have won three of his four
starts, and Walker has gotten the win in the last two by retiring
just one batter each time.
"All four of them we've been right there and he's kept us right
there in the ballgame," Gwynn said.
With left-hander Ron Villone tiring in the eighth inning, Reds
manager Jack McKeon gambled and lost, and Cincinnati lost for the
10th time in 11 games.
Chris Gomez was announced as the pinch-hitter for Walker, but
McKeon chose to bring in right-hander Scott Williamson, and Padres
manager Bruce Bochy sent up the lefty Gwynn, who didn't start in
order to rest his degenerative left knee.
Gwynn worked the count to 3-0, then singled up the middle on a
3-1 pitch to score Ruben Rivera, who singled with one out. Eric Owens followed with an RBI single, just the sixth hit of
the game for the Padres. McKeon thought Williamson could either strike out Gwynn or get
him to hit into a double play.
"I gamble a lot, I guess," McKeon said. "I had a lot more
confidence in him that he could be the guy and it didn't work
out."
McKeon said he thought Gwynn hasn't been as sharp due to his
knee injury. "But hey, he's tough when you give him the ball where he can
handle it."
Said Williamson: "It was a tough way to lose right there."
Gwynn felt almost guilty about being one of the heroes. "These guys have been battling all year long," he said. "Adam threw a great game, the guys played good defense behind him,
Ruben's starting to rally. All these other guys set this whole
thing up. I end up getting a hit, but when you really look at it,
it's just a hit."
Villone (6-4) lost his third straight decision and hasn't won in
his last five starts.
Eaton was pulled in favor of Walker after walking Dmitri Young
with two outs in the eighth on his 125th pitch. Walker got Sean
Casey to bounce out to second base. Trevor Hoffman pitched a
perfect ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances.
Villone retired Carlos Hernandez to open the eighth, then
allowed Rivera's single to center and walked Damian Jackson to set
up the strategic moves that led to Gwynn's hit.
Villone, who was with the Padres from July 31, 1995, until July
31, 1996, no-hit San Diego for 4 2-3 innings before Rivera homered
deep into the left-field seats, his sixth.
Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 19th homer with two outs in the third,
driving the first pitch he saw from Eaton into the right field
seats.
Eaton, making his fourth big league start, allowed five hits and
one run in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out a career-high seven and
walked five.
Game notes
Gwynn made three consecutive starts in right field before
Saturday. He had been getting alternating days off to rest his
troublesome knee. ... The Reds have lost four straight series -- their longest streak since dropping five straight in July 1998. ...
The Reds are guaranteed of having their first losing trip of the
season. They lost two of three at Cleveland, were swept in San
Francisco and lost here Friday night. ... The Reds have lost five
straight.
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