I touched on this game in my Epic Pitchers Duels series at Hardball Times, but it deserves further attention. To most of the baseball world, it is the game where Orel Hershiser broke Don Drysdale’s consecutive scoreless innings streak. To Bip Roberts, it is the game where Mark Parent saved his backside.

                 IP H R ER HR BB SO GSc
Orel Hershiser 10.0 4 0  0  0  1  3  86
Andy Hawkins   10.0 4 0  0  0  2  6  88

While Hershiser was putting the finishing touches on his Cy Young Award season, Andy Hawkins was pitching the final game of his Padres career. As exits go, they don’t get much more spectacular than Hawkins’. He stayed with Hershiser for 10 innings before yielding to the bullpen.

Both pitchers dominated in regulation. The Padres didn’t get a single man past first base. The Dodgers got two as far as second base (Alfredo Griffin knocked a two-out double to left field in the fifth inning; the other resulted from an error and a walk in the sixth).

The teams got serious in extra innings. Hawkins plunked Griffin to open the 10th. After Hershiser sacrificed him to second, Steve Sax and Franklin Stubbs grounded out to end the threat.

In the home half, the Padres put two runners in scoring position but couldn’t push either of them across home plate. Marvell Wynne struck out to lead off the inning but reached first on a wild pitch. Benito Santiago sacrificed him to second. After a Randy Ready groundout advanced Wynne to third, Hershiser intentionally walked Garry Templeton to get to the pitcher’s spot.

Keith Moreland batted for Hawkins and, after Templeton had taken second on defensive indifference, flied out to right for the final out. Hershiser had broken Drysdale’s streak, and the game continued.

After Mark Davis retired the Dodgers in order in the 11th, Jesse Orosco came on to face the Padres. He walked four batters but, thanks to Roberts, escaped unharmed.

With one out, Tim Flannery walked on four pitches. Roberts ran for Flannery and immediately was caught stealing. Tony Gwynn then drew a walk of his own and swiped second. After an intentional walk to Carmelo Martinez and an unintentional walk to Wynne, Santiago popped out to second on a 2-0 count (the San Diego Tribune‘s Barry Bloom described it as a “pitch near his eyes”) to extend the contest.

Roberts replaced Flannery at third base (this becomes important later) and Davis again shut down the Dodgers. Except for a Tracy Woodson triple off Lance McCullers with two out in the 13th, nothing much happened until the 16th inning.

In the 16th, Mickey Hatcher singled to left against southpaw (and one-hit wonder) Dave Leiper. A Woodson groundout advanced Hatcher to second. A Chris Gwynn groundout moved him to third. This brought up light-hitting (career .213/.277/.318, 68 OPS+) Jose Gonzalez, who grounded to third baseman Roberts… who fired the ball past first baseman Martinez, allowing Hatcher to score the game’s first run.

Leiper escaped without further incident, and the Padres came to bat. The hard-throwing but erratic Ken Howell started his second inning of relief by walking Roberts on a full count. With Roberts running on a 2-2 pitch, Stan “Not Exactly Tim Raines” Jefferson struck out swinging. Roberts, naturally, was nailed at second base for the second out.

Martinez then drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, bringing up Wynne. Tommy Lasorda summoned left-hander Ricky Horton from the bullpen. Jack McKeon countered by lifting the left-handed hitting Wynne (who actually fared much better against southpaws that year than against right-handers) for backup catcher Parent. Hey, you’re down to the final out of your home season, why not?

Parent promptly drove a 1-1 offering from Horton into the left field seats (the Tribune‘s Bob Slocum quoted the catcher as saying, “I had sleep in my eyes when I went up there”) to end the game. After a disastrous 1987 season, that wasn’t a bad way to say goodbye to San Diego fans in ’88.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the links…

• Position Players by WAR: Deadball Era (FanGraphs). As long as we’re delving into history… the Liveball Era installment is up, too.
• 15 worst endings ever to regular-season games (Hardball Times). Parent’s destruction of the Dodgers doesn’t show up here, but Chris Jaffe’s list makes for a good read.
• So long, C.Y. (Inside the Padres). Tom Krasovic says goodbye to Chris Young, who has signed an incentive-laden contract with the New York Mets. Krasovic notes, among many other things, that Mat Latos credits Young for helping him learn how to channel his energy.
• A Dominican Adventure (Baseball Prospectus). Tommy Bennett takes a closer look at baseball in the Dominican Republic. Bonus points for mentioning Ducksnorts fave Paul McAnulty.
• A scout’s life in Colombia (ESPN). Speaking of distant lands, Tim Kurkjian pens a piece about an aspect of baseball that doesn’t get much coverage. [h/t BBTF]
• MLB Ballpark Seating Capacities 1920-2010 (Beyond the Boxscore). I don’t know quite what to do with this stuff, but I love it.
• More Cowbell (Dirk Hayhurst). Everyone’s favorite Garfoose has signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. Congrats and best of luck!

Tagged as: andy hawkins, benito santiago, bip roberts, carmelo martinez, dave leiper, dirk hayhurst, don drysdale, garry templeton, hardball times, jack mckeon, mark davis, marvell wynne, orel hershiser, paul mcanulty, pitchers duel, randy ready, stan jefferson, tim flannery