Tomko Beats Padres on Average Night

CINCINNATI — Brett Tomko didn’t impress the San Diego Padres. All he did was beat them.

Tomko pitched seven shutout innings and the Cincinnati Reds pounded Danny Jackson in his return to the Padres’ rotation Thursday night, pulling away to a 7-0 victory.

Tomko (7-3), a 23-year-old rookie still developing his curve and change-up, held the Padres to a pair of singles by Rickey Henderson and another by Wally Joyner. The right-hander walked three, struck out five and left after throwing 133 pitches.

“He’s average, all the way around,” said Tony Gwynn, who went hitless in four at-bats and had his average fall to .384, its lowest point since May 21. “He threw a lot of high heaters that we couldn’t lay off. He had an average curve and he didn’t have to use his change-up.

“But he was very composed. He looked like he’d been here for seven or eight years.”

“He’s definitely hittable,” said Ken Caminiti, who was also hitless against Tomko. “He threw a good game. I just think we didn’t have our best. He’s not overpowering.”

Tomko made his second strong start since returning from a two-week assignment to the bullpen. In those two starts, he has given up only one run and five hits over 14 innings.

The Padres weren’t the only ones unimpressed by Tomko’s arsenal Thursday night.

“I was struggling with my off-speed stuff, my breaking ball, really the whole game, but I was able to make a little adjustment that really helped my fastball,” Tomko said. “That’s the best fastball I had all year.”

The Reds won for only the sixth time in 19 games, the only bright spot on a day in which two starting pitchers went on the disabled list (Pete Schourek and Dave Burba) and outfielder Curtis Goodwin left the team and was demoted to the minors.

Joe Oliver hit a solo homer, his 10th, and Eduardo Perez added a two-run shot, his ninth, as the Reds pulled ahead, 4-0, after three innings. Jackson’s wild pitch let in another run.

Willie Greene added a bases-loaded double for three more runs in the seventh off Will Cunnane.

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