Padres Will Do Their Best to Help Dodgers Go South

SAN DIEGO —  The folks here call it “America’s Finest City.” They gloat about their weather. They flaunt their beautiful beaches. They brag about their clean air.

They’ve even got an NFL team here.

They have everything you would want in a city--except a championship baseball team.

Considering their disdain for Los Angeles, San Diegans would love nothing more than to make sure it doesn’t have one either. They would love to ruin the Dodgers’ National League West Division hopes.

“We’re going to try to bust their chops,” said Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn, who is on the verge of winning his sixth batting title. “They could have taken care of business and they slipped. Now, they’ve come to Diego. . . .

“I want to see Tommy [Lasorda] pacing up and down the dugout. Let them sit up there and sweat it out.”

Yet while the Padres could put a serious crimp in the Dodgers’ bid to win the division title in their three-game series beginning at 8 tonight at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, the Dodgers are in good shape to earn a playoff berth. They took a two-game lead over the Houston Astros for the wild-card spot Thursday when the Astros lost to the Chicago Cubs. If the Dodgers win tonight, and the Astros lose again, the Dodgers will clinch their first playoff berth since 1988.

The division race remains open. The Dodgers can clinch the title by winning two of three against the Padres, or simply by finishing in a first-place tie with the Rockies because of their 9-4 advantage in head-to-head competition.

The irony of the situation is that the division winner plays the Cincinnati Reds beginning Tuesday and the wild-card entrant plays the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers will tell you they would much prefer playing the Braves, whom they outscored this season, and the Rockies would rather play the Reds.

“If we get into the playoffs, we can match up with anyone,” Dodger catcher Mike Piazza said. “But we match up real well with the Braves. I know they’ve got [Greg] Maddux, but I’ll take our pitching staff over theirs. We gave them a lot of trouble this year.”

Although the Dodgers lost five of the nine games, they outscored Atlanta, 34-26. In fact, Atlanta scored three or fewer runs in five games, including three games in which the Braves scored fewer than two runs.

The Dodgers were convinced they would be returning to Los Angeles to play either Cincinnati or Atlanta, anyway, after their victory Wednesday over the Rockies in their home finale. No one bothered to clean out his locker.

“You can’t go out and celebrate yet, but we’ve put ourselves in good position,” closer Todd Worrell said.

Yet, until the Dodgers officially clinch a playoff berth, there will be that gnawing apprehension as long as they’re here.

Despite having the better team year after year, the Dodgers have not swept the Padres in a three-game series at Jack Murphy Stadium since 1982. They have lost four of six games in San Diego the last two years and have a 58-86 record here since the 1977 season.

“It’s always been like a big family thing down there,” second baseman Delino DeShields said. “It’s so close, you take the family and the kids. Everybody’s going to the zoo and the beaches.

“But I don’t think it’ll be the same this time. We’re going to have to treat it like it’s Pittsburgh or something.

“Guys have got to get their priorities straight. I’m sure the families and wives will understand. We just can’t have any distractions.”

This time, however, the major distractions may be in the Padre clubhouse. General Manager Randy Smith submitted his resignation Tuesday, according to sources, but club President Larry Lucchino has yet to accept it. If Smith leaves, Manager Bruce Bochy and several of his coaches may also be gone.

The Dodgers, of course, have yet to announce a decision on Lasorda’s continued employment. Lasorda is expected to return for his 20th season if the Dodgers make the playoffs, but Dodger President Peter O’Malley is delaying comment until after the season.

And Dodger players realize that no matter how long into October they play, there will be changes after the World Series. The only players assured of returning in 1996 are Piazza, first baseman Eric Karros, infielder Chad Fonville and right fielder Raul Mondesi.

The Dodgers, in fact, will tell you that without Fonville, they wouldn’t be in this position today. They are 40-27 since he made the starting lineup July 18, and 15-8 with him as the everyday shortstop.