May 6, 2002 3 min read

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Tom Lampkin hits a triple about once a season, which is why his three-base hit was so surprising. Lampkin, a 38-year-old veteran who started the season as San Diego’s backup catcher, hit a two-run triple Sunday as the Padres rallied to back Brian Lawrence in a 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon and catcher Jason Kendall were ejected after arguing a called third strike on Adrian Brown to start the ninth.

Kendall said he was angry because he thought Mark Barron was calling an inconsistent strike zone.

McClendon said he went out to find out why Barron tossed Kendall.

“He said if I don’t get out of there I’m going to get run,” McClendon said. “I don’t think that’s right.”

After he was ejected, McClendon flung his cap about 30 feet into the screen behind home plate.

Kendall said the most frustrating call all day was a called third strike on Brian Giles to end the three-run second inning with the bases loaded.

“It’s tough to hit when you don’t see strikes,” Giles said.

Ryan Klesko and Phil Nevin each had three hits for the Padres, who took two of three in the series and have won eight of 11.

Lawrence (4-1) has carried the Padres with his brilliant pitching this season, and Sunday it was the hitters’ turn to pick him up.

Lampkin’s hit was the biggest. With the Padres trailing 3-0 and facing emergency starter Sean Lowe, Lampkin drove a pitch to straightaway center, over Rob Mackowiak’s head.

Lampkin scored on D’Angelo Jimenez’s single to tie it at 3. Lampkin, who’s been with six big league clubs since 1988, has eight career triples.

“I’m definitely thinking out of the box that I’m going to run until I see the ball come in,” he said. “I’ve always thought that way, because most of the time, that’s what I need to do just to get to second. And that’s the truth. It kicks around back there and sometimes I go for it.”

Lampkin raised his average from .138 to .148.

Lawrence allowed five runs – four earned – on nine hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one. Trevor Hoffman fanned two in the ninth for his 11th save in as many opportunities.

The Pirates are still foundering offensively, although they pulled to 6-5 by scoring twice in the eighth and chasing Lawrence. Pittsburgh has lost nine of 12.

Lowe (1-1) was ripped for six runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings. He replaced left-hander Dave Williams, who couldn’t go after being hit on the right shin by a comebacker in his last start, a 10-0 loss at Colorado on Tuesday.

The Pirates took their 3-0 lead in the second on Mackowiak’s RBI double, Kendall’s groundout and Mike Benjamin’s sacrifice fly. Kendall hit an RBI grounder in the eighth and another run scored on Jimenez’s throwing error.

Notes:@ Since going 1-5 on their season-opening road trip to Arizona and San Francisco, the Padres have won seven of eight series. … Before the game, the Pirates activated second baseman Pokey Reese from the 15-day disabled list. Reese had been sidelined since April 20 with a strained right hamstring. To make room on the roster, the Pirates put right-hander Josias Manzanillo on the DL with a bone chip in his right elbow.