Padres Catch Expos at the Right Time

MONTREAL — Joey Hamilton pitched a four-hitter to win his fifth consecutive decision, and Wally Joyner had three RBIs to lead the Padres to an 8-2 victory over the Expos on Friday.

Rickey Henderson and Chris Gomez drove in two runs each as the Padres ended a three-game losing streak and won for the eighth time in 12 games. Gomez tied a career high with four hits.

The struggling Expos have lost eight of their last 12.

Hamilton (9-3) gave up a two-run homer to Doug Strange and little else in pitching his seventh complete game, and first since July 22, 1996.

Hamilton struck out two, walked one and is 5-0 in his last 10 starts. His last loss was on June 6 against Houston.

The right-hander retired 11 in a row, beginning with a double play to end the first, before Mark Grudzielanek hit his major-league-leading 38th double with one out in the Expo fifth. Strange followed with his sixth home run, but Hamilton retired 14 of the last 15 to end the game.

Joyner hit a two-run bloop single in the Padre third off Jim Bullinger (6-11) to make the score 5-0. His RBI double in the seventh made the score 8-2.

Henderson hit a two-run single and Gomez an RBI double in the Padres’ three-run second. Gomez hit a run-scoring grounder in the fifth for a 7-0 lead.

Tony Gwynn went one for four with a sacrifice fly, dropping his batting average from .391 to .389.

Gwynn has hit safely in 11 consecutive games, going 15 for 37 (.405) with a homer and five doubles in that span. His double was his 2,722th hit, moving him out of a tie with Lou Gehrig for 44th place on the career list.

The Padres took a 3-0 lead in the second on Gomez’s RBI double and Henderson’s two-run single.

Gwynn doubled to lead off the Padre third, and Steve Finley walked. After a double steal, Joyner blooped his single to left-center, forcing Bullinger from the game.

Bullinger gave up five runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings and fell to 1-5 in seven starts since June 28.